Visit of EP delegation to give additional impetus to cooperation - Kazakh FM
The group of MEPs included First Deputy Chairman of the EP Delegation for Cooperation with Central Asia and Mongolia and Deputy Chairman of the EP Committee on Transport and Tourism Mr. Andris Ameriks (Latvia), member of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs Mr. Francisco Millan-Mon (Spain), as well as political advisers of several leading party groups in the European Parliament, the official website of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reads.
«The very timely visit of the EP delegation to Kazakhstan will give additional impetus to strengthening the political and inter-parliamentary cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, as well to the search for new promising niches of cooperation under the Kazakhstan – EU Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement,» stated the Kazakh Foreign Minister during the meeting.
The parties discussed the reform programmes put forward by the President of Kazakhstan aiming to modernise the political system of the country and the construction of a «New Kazakhstan».
For his part, Mr. Ameriks noted «Kazakhstan is a key partner for the European Union in the Central Asian region. «Much has changed since I visited Kazakhstan two and a half years ago, but Kazakhstan and the European Union remain close partners… We support the course of political reforms in the country and are closely following its implementation in practice».
They also touched upon the investigation into the true causes of the tragic January events in the context of a resolution of the European Parliament adopted at the beginning of 2022 on the human rights situation in Kazakhstan.
«We understand the complexity of the situation faced by Kazakhstan at the beginning of the year and are awaiting the official results of the investigation,» Francisco Millаn-Mon said in this regard.
During the visit of the delegation, besides the PCC meeting, several meetings are scheduled in Nur-Sultan and Almaty with members of the Senate and Majilis of the Parliament, the Ombudsperson for Human Rights, representatives of law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan and ministries dealing with economic development, as well as representatives of the civil society.
For reference: The Delegation of the European Parliament for Cooperation with Central Asia and Mongolia was established in 1994 and consists of 19 permanent and several rotating deputies. Meetings of the Kazakhstan – EU Parliamentary Cooperation Committee are an important tool in promoting bilateral political dialogue, monitoring the implementation of the basic agreements, including the EPCA, and making recommendations to strengthen the work of the ministerial meeting - the Kazakhstan – EU Cooperation Council.