Kazakh Ambassador meets EU Special Representative for Central Asia

Welcoming the beginning of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE, Pierre Morel paid attention to great potential and prospects of the EU cooperation with Kazakhstan as a key partner in the region. He emphasized that there exists a necessity of the corresponding institutionalization of the OSCE activity in Afghanistan, and elaboration of a constructive approach to the situation stabilization. In this context P.Morel welcomed Kazakhstan's allocation of USD 50 mln for financing education of thousands Afghan students in Kazakhstan. "It shows that Kazakhstan not only gets benefit from the chairmanship, but makes great efforts for achievement of stability in the region", he said.

Y.Utembayev, in his turn, drew attention to the fact, that Kazakhstan is committed to international obligations in the sphere of control over drug distribution, and Kazakhstan as the acting OSCE chairman defined the issue of Afghanistan's stabilization as one of the most important priorities of the Organization for 2010. "Effective solution of this task is in an integrated approach, and in this context Kazakhstan counts on close interaction with the EU", the Ambassador emphasized.

He noted that in the course of its chairmanship Kazakhstan plans to pay great attention to countering terrorism and other new challenges of the modernity. The main event in this direction will be holding of the Conference on terrorism prevention, and effective resolution of protracted conflicts.

Besides, the Ambassador noted that the issues of tolerance and intercultural dialogue at the OSCE space are the main priority of our chairmanship in the OSCE.

In this context the EU Special Representative noted the Kazakh experience of interethnic and interfaith concord. In his opinion, a dialogue at the forums of representatives of different religions held at the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev is one of the effective methods of problems solution.

Y.Utembayev noted importance of "development of the corresponding road map, which will promote elaboration of established approaches and implementation of new mechanisms on bringing of the Kazakh-EU relations to a new level".

There were also discussed the issues of regional cooperation in Central Asia, use of water and energy resources and control at the borders, it was noted that the EU is ready to promote ongoing dialoging on solution of the problems in these directions in Central Asia.

Pierre Morel backed our initiative on holding an informal OSCE Ministerial Council in Almaty in summer, which can be a good opportunity for exchange of opinions on the most urgent OSCE problems, including discussion of an agenda and terms of holding the OSCE Summit initiated by the Kazakh President.