Kazakh Senate Speaker Tokayev holds meetings with Swiss authorities in Bern

15:57, 24 October 2013

ASTANA. October 24. KAZINFORM Newly appointed Senate Speaker of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev held a number of meetings with Swiss authorities in Bern in connection with the end of his mission as the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, the chamber's press service reports.

Federal Councillor of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter highly estimated the results of work of Mr. Tokayev during his tenure, having stressed that he greatly contributed to the strengthening of Geneva's role as a global international center.

Mr. Tokayev, in turn, expressed gratitude to the Swiss authorities for constant support of the UN structures.

During the meeting, the sides eyed possible cooperation between Astana and Bern in the international arena, especially in the context of the forthcoming chairmanship of Switzerland in the OSCE in 2014 and Kazakhstan's bid to take a temporary seat on the UN Security Council in 2017-2018.

Prospects for inter-parliamentary cooperation were discussed during the meeting with President of the Council of States of Switzerland Fillippo Lombardi. The sides paid utmost attention to the interaction within the parliamentary assemblies of the OSCE and the Council of Europe as well as exchange of experience in the law-making sphere.

Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev emphasized Kazakhstan is keen to be partners with Switzerland in the field of alternative energy, green economy, agriculture and transport. The International specialized exhibition "EXPO-2017" in Astana is the perfect platform for the development of such partnership.

The Kazakh Senate Speaker invited his Swiss colleague to pay a visit to Astana. Mr. Lombardi thanked the Kazakh MP for the invitation and said he is ready to come to Kazakhstan this November.

Kazakhstan and Europe News Parliament (Qurultay)