Kazakhstan attends OSCE Ministerial Council plenary session
It debated the results of the Organization’s activities in 2019 and pressing issues of the international agenda, the Kazakh MFA’s press service reports.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko headed the Kazakh delegation. Addressing those gathere the Kazakh diplomat congratulated the Slovak Chairmanship and personally Minister Miroslav Lajcak on fulfilling the important mission of guiding the Organization throughout this year.
‘The year of 2019 has been a momentous one for Kazakhstan. It has seen the voluntary resignation of First President Nursultan Nazarbayev who stood down after leading our country since independence. Since then, we’ve seen an election as well as the inauguration of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. His initiatives have covered a transformation process which has included a range of political, economic and social reforms. This includes measures to further develop our multi-party democracy.
Kazakhstan firmly pursues a policy of inclusive and sustainable development, comprehensive dialogue and peaceful endeavors. In this regard, Kazakhstan endorses the OSCE activities directed towards peace and security in all three dimensions.
We commend the work of the Slovak Chairmanship in dealing with conflicts in the OSCE area and support efforts aimed at developing confidence-building measures, resolution of the crisis in and around Ukraine, as well as the settlement of protracted conflicts in the OSCE area. Kazakhstan considers it important to continue the negotiation process on conflicts in the spirit of constructive approach and mutual respect for their settlement by peaceful and diplomatic means.
We are naturally hopeful that next week’s Normandy Four format summit brings the resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine closer.
We are grateful to the Slovak Chairmanship for keeping the issue of Afghanistan on the OSCE agenda by supporting the organization of the round-table on Afghanistan in Nur-Sultan on the 9th of October 2019. Participation of high-level speakers demonstrated the will to promote the synergy between the key security stakeholders vis-a-vis Afghanistan. Therefore, we highly encourage the promotion of synergy between OSCE and international institutions on achieving sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan.
In 2020, Kazakhstan will assume the chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA). One of the main priorities of our Chairmanship will be promoting cooperation between the OSCE and its Asian twin sister, CICA, since these structures have many things in common and share similar approaches to addressing the complex challenges of the 21st century. This also corresponds with the Three Dialogues initiative of our First President.
I would like to thank the Slovak Chairmanship for the trust extended to Kazakhstan as incumbent Chair of the Second Committee. Discussions within the second basket prove that it can contribute to reducing tensions and enhancing confidence-building measures, as well as complement political processes.
Over the past three years Kazakhstan has been promoting the idea of establishing an OSCE Thematic Center on Sustainable Connectivity in a consistent manner. Results of the recent Feasibility study also look promising and provide good basis for discussion between participating States.
We believe the new entity’s activities and scientific potential will extend to the entire OSCE area and will allow us to create a powerful analytical hub, which, together with the existing OSCE structures, academia, business community and civil society sector, could bring us to more tailored and rational political decisions and solutions to the pressing problems.
In order to ensure sustainability of the Thematic Center, we propose that the OSCE Unified budget is used in keeping with ZNG (zero nominal growth) principle. We are ready to make in-kind contribution by providing venue for the Thematic center and seconding human resources to the TC. We hope this idea is supported by our partners already in the 2020 Budget cycle. We are ready to discuss it in detail.
In conclusion, I would like to express our condolences and support to Albania in relation to recent tragic loss of lives in major earthquake. We welcome the incoming Albanian Chairmanship and we are ready to share our successful experience of chairing the OSCE and to provide all kind of support to our friends in Tirana throughout the next year.
I would also like to welcome the decision on the 2021 and 2022 OSCE Chairmanships and congratulate Sweden and Poland respectively on such important missions. We hope our future chairmanships will steer the Organization towards mutual understanding and dialogue, peace and security in the OSCE area,’ Vassilenko resumed.