ASTANA. February 26. KAZINFORM. Kazakh Justice Minister Rashid Tusupbekov met with US Ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard Hoagland yesterday; the Ministry's press service told Kazinform.

R. Tusupbekov noted that in the light of the Kazakh President's Address to the Nation as well as Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE the Ministry faces a number of new tasks - to improve the lawmaking process, simplify the opening of business, humanize the prison system and improve services for citizens. Kazakhstan is going to meet international standards in all of these directions.

The Kazakh side thanked Mr. Hoagland and the USA Embassy for the support of the human rights projects and expressed readiness to continue cooperation.