ASTANA – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is willing to work with Kazakhstan in achieving a “better world through cooperation,” said Elina Valtonen, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finland’s Foreign Minister, in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times.
Elina Valtonen, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finland’s Foreign Minister. Photo credit: The Astana Times
On June 10, Valtonen made her first visit to Kazakhstan as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, holding high-level meetings with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu.
“I admire this country. I have met so many positive people really engaged in building their country, but also the cooperation between other countries, not just in the region, but also towards Europe. That’s something which gives me a lot of optimism,” said Valtonen, sharing her impressions and a message to the region.
With current challenging situations concerning regional and global security, the international law and protection of human rights come to the fore. Valtonen emphasized the need for collective action in defending these principles.
In an exclusive interview with The Astana Times, Valtonen commented on Kazakhstan’s development and regional role within the OSCE’s agenda. Photo credit: The Astana Times
“If there’s no UN Charter, if there’s no territorial integrity, if there’s no sovereignty of nations, then typically you can easily forget about all human rights as well – everything is interlinked. And we are here to support each other and achieve a better world through cooperation,” said Valtonen.
Kazakhstan has been an active participant in the OSCE since 1992, and it chaired the organization in 2010, hosting the summit – the first one in over a decade at the time.
“Kazakhstan is a very valuable participating state, not only in the region, bringing stability, progress and cooperation, but especially towards the entire Central Asian region. (…) Also, our bilateral ties between Finland and Kazakhstan are very strong, and we hope to deepen those, especially in the economic sphere,” said Valtonen.
According to her, Kazakhstan has stepped up its own diplomacy and civil liberties amid its history as part of the Soviet Union.
“What is so important is that President Tokayev’s reform agenda is benefiting each and every person on the street. I guess, the OSCE is there to also make room for the civil society, because it’s important that if you want to be a flourishing democracy, you need to accept that not everybody agrees with you,” said Valtonen.
“So you need free media, you need free participation of organizations, of new parties. At the same time, you need a strong judicial system which is non-discriminatory in order to attract, for instance, foreign investment. I think in many ways the country is progressing but, of course, there are still things to do,” she added.
Finland holds the chairpersonship of the OSCE in 2025, which also comes at the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, the OSCE’s founding document. As the world’s largest regional security organization, Valtonen said, it continues to strengthen and promote its core principles throughout its area of influence.
“The organization, which was founded on the basis of the Helsinki Final Act, the 10 Principles, has been promoting stability, cooperation, peace, and, of course, prosperity across our regions. And now in Kazakhstan, it’s clearer than ever that it’s really focusing also on the Eurasian dimension of things,” said Valtonen.
“Unfortunately, it has to be said that there are quite many challenges, not so much related to the principles – because they are as valid as ever – for instance, the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of nations. But there’s one participating nation violating all 10 of those, which is Russia, who is waging war against Ukraine. So, of course, this is casting a significant shadow on the work we are doing and on the future of the organization,” she added.
The OSCE will mark the 50th anniversary this summer in Helsinki with a conference focused on civil society, celebrating the progress made and the vision for a future where people can “fully participate in their own livelihoods, the essential parts of the society, and also live in security and in peace,” said Valtonen.
