Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia of EEAS visits Astana
"The event provides opportunity to address the cardinal issue of the Rule of Law and Justice, how best to cooperate and exchange our respective experiences on judicial reform, access to justice, individual rights and freedoms, administrative efficiency and many other issues that are all of utmost interest to our two regions," Mr Fernandez de la Pena said at the plenary session of the Forth Ministerial Conference on the Rule of Law The EEAS Managing Director built on the outcome of the previous EU-Central Asia Ministerial Conference on Rule of Law, which took place in Brussels two years ago. He also added that the current Ministerial Conference is taking place "at a moment when the EU is embarking upon a stocktaking of how we implement the EU's regional strategy vis-à-vis Central Asia is particularly timely and inspirational."
The European Union - Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative is one of the key elements of the European Union's Strategy for a New Partnership with Central Asia. Within its framework, the EU supports the Central Asian States in core legal reforms, including reform of the judiciary, in drawing up effective legislation and enhancing implementation capacities. The Rule of Law Initiative is jointly implemented by the European Union and its Member States. The Initiative was launched at the first EU - Central Asia Ministerial Conference on Rule of Law in Brussels in 2008, the EEAS press service said. In the framework of his visit to Astana, Managing Director Fernandez de la Pena also had a number of bilateral meetings with Kazakhstani high officials. He met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov on 14 October. The parties discussed the progress achieved during the recent visit of the President Nazarbayev to Brussels, including the official conclusion of the negotiations on the new enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. Mr Frenandez de la Pena welcomed that Kazakhstan will become the 53rd partner in the ASEM at the upcoming Summit, and expressed confidence that Kazakhstan, as the first Central Asian country joining the ASEM, will bring a unique perspective into the process. On the sidelines of the Ministerial Conference, the Managing Director of the EEAS Fernandez de la Pena had bilateral meetings with Minister of Justice Berik Imashev, Chairman of the Constitutional Council Igor Rogov, with Presidential Aide Nurlan Onzhanov and Chairman of the International Relations, Defence and Security Committee of the Senate Ikram Adyrbekov.