OSCE is to be renamed - B.Sultanov
ASTANA. May 28. KAZINFORM /Yekaterina Ionova/ The OSCE remains one of the leading organizations, but amid the rapidly changing situation in the world the organziation has to adjust to it as well. Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan Bulat Sultanov offers to consider the issue of renaming the OSCE in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Eurasia. The idea was expressed at the meeting on 'Kazakhstan presidency in the OSCE: results and prospects' in Almaty on Friday.
According to him, Kazakhstan's presidency in the OSCE coincided with the difficult period - climatic disasters, environmental and humanitarian disasters, global financial crisis. 'This proves the vulnerability of the world facing modern challenges and threats. Kyrgyzstan situation can serve as a good prove when our neighboring friendly country was plunged into the lawlessness and total tumult. Under these circumstances the public attention was drawn to Kazakhstan as the presiding country in OSCE if it would handle the tension and pressure', B. Sultanov said.
B. Sultanov noted that it is relevant to locate the headquarters of the OSCE closer to the countries whose problems are mostly discussed at the meetings. 'For example to move the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities from the Hague to Astana and the office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - to Tbilisi or Bishkek', Bulat Sultanov suggests.
Besides B. Sultanov emphasized that the relevancy of considering a visa-free regime issue for the OSCE member countries, first of all for pupils, students and businessmen. 'I am confident that the positive solution of these issues would reflect not only on the OSCE image, but on making the Organization closer to the interests and needs of ordinary people', the Director of the institute said.
Leading experts from the government and individual analytical organizations of Kazakhstan and foreign countries, representatives from international organizations and diplomatic missions in Kazakhstan took part in the conference.