Kazakh Senate Speaker meets with EU special reps to discuss Kazakhstan’s political modernization

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – Speaker of the Senate of the Kazakh Parliament Maulen Ashimbayev has held a meeting with EU Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore and EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala, Kazinform cites the press service of the Senate.

Opening the meeting, the Kazakh Senate Speaker pointed out that Kazakhstan attaches special importance to building mutually beneficial and pragmatic cooperation with all countries and institutions of the European Union. In that vein, the Senate pays a special role to further promote interparliamentary relations.

The interlocutors noted the importance of further strengthening of the work of dialogue platforms responsible for regular exchanges of current information on the issues of interest, including priority ones such as expanding the bilateral trade and investments, sharing views on regional security issues, promoting democratic values as well as the political reforms carried out in the country at the initiative of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

During the meeting, the Senate Speaker noted that a number of laws are set to be adopted in order to go on with the political modernization course. He went on to say that legislative amendments needed hold pilot direct elections of districts governors will be developed.

He also said that there are plans to establish rules for obligatory consideration of quotas when it comes to distribution of deputy mandates, to expand the list of the categories of citizens with more quiotas for women, youth as well as people with special needs.

The meeting’s main topic of discussion was the political modernization carried out in Kazakhstan as the pledge of the country’s future greater effectiveness, transparency and competitiveness of political process.