Kazakhstan Discusses Cooperation with Council of Europe

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko met with a Council of Europe (CoE) delegation led by Claus Neukirch, Director of Program Coordination, to discuss cooperation prospects, reported the ministry’s press service on June 27.

Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko met with a delegation from the Council of Europe on June 27. Photo credit: gov.kz.

During the meeting, which was also attended by diplomats from the EU and CoE member states, the sides focused on current issues, including Kazakhstan’s efforts to join CoE conventions combating corruption, cybercrime and domestic violence.

Vassilenko emphasized that the political reforms initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have ushered in a new phase of development in Kazakhstan and laid a strong foundation for a democratic transformation. 

He expressed Kazakhstan’s keen interest in strengthening cooperation with the CoE, an organization dedicated to promoting democratic processes, protecting human rights, and upholding the rule of law.

The Council of Europe delegation led by Claus Neukirch, the Director of Program Coordination. Photo credit: gov.kz.

Neukirch shared the outcomes of the Second Regional Steering Committee Meeting of the CoE and the European Union joint program, The Rule of Law in Central Asia for 2020-2023, in Astana on June 26-27.

The program is open to all Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – that wish to benefit from the CoE’s experience and meet the conditions for cooperation in line with the CoE’s policy on neighboring regions. 

The sides also discussed plans for implementing CoE initiatives and projects in Kazakhstan per the agreed plans.


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