ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Senate Chairperson Maulen Ashimbayev offered support in introducing Kazakh language departments at the universities in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) during the 55th plenary meeting of the Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA) on April 14 in Saint Petersburg, reported the senate’s press service.
Senators of Kazakhstan and Russia signed the Roadmap for the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation on April 12. Photo credit: Senate’s press service.
“Knowledge of languages plays an important role in developing international cooperation… The Moscow State Linguistic University has a unique department teaching the CIS member states’ languages. We are ready, for our part, to assist this department in teaching the Kazakh language. I think we should consider opening such departments in other CIS universities,” said Ashimbayev.
Ashimbayev also focused on cooperation for early warning, more accurate forecasting, and reducing the risk of emergencies, including seismic safety.
“There are many seismically active places on the territory of the CIS countries. At the same time, our countries have accumulated significant scientific potential in this area; seismological, geophysical, and other data are being monitored. I think CIS IPA could play an important role in enhancing the interaction between our countries in seismic safety, conducting joint research to prevent earthquakes,” said Ashimbayev.
The meeting participants addressed a package of model laws in ecology, digitalization of economic sectors, taxation, finance, and other areas.
Senate Chairperson Ashimbayev and Speaker of Federal Assembly of Russia Matviyenko on April 12. Photo credit: Senate’s press service.
On the sidelines of the event, Ashimbayev held meetings with the Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of Kyrgyzstan Nurlanbek Shakiyev, Chairperson of the Milli Majlis (the legislative branch of government) of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova and Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan.
During an April 12 meeting of the Kazakh-Russian cooperation commission in Moscow, Ashimbayev and Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matviyenko signed a roadmap for the cooperation development for 2023-2025.
During the meeting, Ashimbayev focused on promising areas for inter-parliamentary cooperation, including the preservation of the ecosystems of transboundary rivers, the joint fight against drug trafficking, and the development of cross-border cooperation.
“Preservation of the ecosystems of transboundary rivers is one of the urgent problems, given its acute social, economic, and environmental significance for a number of our regions,” he said, proposing to hold the next meeting of the cooperation commission in border city Uralsk in autumn.
According to him, the two countries demonstrate effective bilateral cooperation based on “strong ties of friendship and good neighborliness, centuries-old historical ties, respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the two states.”
Senate Chairperson Ashimbayev laid flowers at Abai’s monument in Moscow. Photo credit: Senate’s press service.
The Kazakh Senate delegation visited the Cathedral Mosque of Moscow, where the sides addressed the role of religious leaders in promoting high spiritual and moral values in modern society.
During the visit, Ashimbayev met with Kazakh students studying at Russian universities, and laid flowers at the monument to the Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbayev.
Senate deputies Galiaskar Sarybayev, Zhanna Assanova, and Aigul Kapbarova also attended the meetings of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg.
Senate Chairperson Ashimbayev during 55th plenary meeting of Council of CIS Interparliamentary Assembly on April 14. Photo credit: Senate’s press service.
The meeting participants addressed ways to ensure public security, counter terrorism, and suppress illegal activities in the waters of the CIS countries.
Social policy, labor migration, and human rights were also on the meeting’s agenda. Kazakh deputies proposed recommendations for assessing working conditions at workplaces in the CIS countries.
