Vice President of Kazakhstan Center for Humanitarian and Political Trends M. Asanbayev: Chairmanship in OSCE - certain challenge we must respond to in spirit of our time
"Having familiarized with the article of our President N. Nazarbayev Fate and Prospects of the OSCE I can say that it is ambitious enough. First of all I would like to note that the initiatives of our country are undoubtedly necessary and well-timed, taking into account that the role of international organizations like the OSCE has weakened for the last 10-15 years", M. Asanbayev said.
According to him, this concerns almost all international organizations including the UN. "Its reputation was severely damaged with the events in Iraq and Afghanistan when some UN members acted beyond the international sanction and irrespective to the wish of the majority", he said.
Chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the OSCE is a significant event even due to the fact that our country is the first Asian country on the post-Soviet territory and the first country with prevailing Muslim population to receive such duty.
"The OSCE member-states, as I think, were surprised themselves by this fact and certainly hope that Kazakhstan will bring something new - new view to many things", M. Asanbayev believes. According to him, there are already preconditions for this. During its independence years our country has several times advanced initiatives supported by the whole world community.
"It is clear that, first of all, all Western countries try to solve the problem of Afghanistan and the leadership of our country does not conceal its intensions in this regard. Significant part of the President's article is just devoted to the prospects of Afghanistan. Kazakhstan is undertaking the load of responsibility including the financial one. USD 50 mln allocated for education of one thousand of Afghan citizens in Kazakhstani educational institutions is a considerable amount. This is the contribution of Kazakhstan for promotion of development of this country. Our country, as the part of the Central Asia, can easily understand all the problems of this longsuffering state", the political scientist noted.
"The OSCE summit scheduled for the current year in Astana is also one of the ambitious ideas taking into account the fact that the OSCE members have not gathered for ten years", M. Asanbayev said.
According to him, this chairmanship will be some kind of a test both for the OSCE and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has a great risk as far as everything depends on what results we will receive at the end of the year.