ASTANA – Thirty-four years ago, Kazakhstan joined the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), entering a multilateral system built on dialogue, international law and shared security principles. Looking back on more than three decades of cooperation, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, Ambassador Alexey Rogov reflected on the milestones that have shaped Kazakhstan’s relationship with the organization.
Photo credit: Fatima Kemelova/ The Astana Times
“Let me begin with a sincere congratulation: Jan. 30, 1992 is a historic date – Kazakhstan’s entry into the OSCE family as a participating state, an early and principled step that underscored the country’s independence and its full integration into international affairs as a sovereign nation,” Rogov said in a conversation with The Astana Times.
Alexey Rogov assumed his duties in September 2025. Before posting in Astana, he served in Bishkek. Photo credit: Fatima Kemelova/ The Astana Times
“Kazakhstan has since played a truly significant role in the OSCE – most visibly through its chairpersonship in 2010 and the Astana Summit, but also through a consistent approach rooted in dialogue and co-operation,” said Rogov, who assumed his duties in September.
He said the OSCE views Kazakhstan’s reform path through a pragmatic lens, supporting efforts to strengthen institutions, promote inclusiveness, and advance long-term, sustainable development. He mentioned the framing used by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the country’s ongoing reforms.
“Most recently, his message about a ‘transition to a brand new political system’ speaks to the scale of change the country is pursuing,” Rogov said.
Concrete examples at work
He focused on several areas where the nation’s priorities and the organization’s expertise align. One such area is cybercrime, where the OSCE is supporting interagency work on Kazakhstan’s first five-year comprehensive action plan to counter cyber and ICT-enabled crimes for 2025–2029. It is aimed at coordinating institutions and translating policy into concrete measures in what Rogov described as an increasingly costly global security challenge.
“We support practical capacity building on complex areas such as asset recovery and civil forfeiture mechanisms, helping national institutions exchange international experience and sharpen professional toolkits in line with good practice. This work strengthens accountability and the fight against corruption, also allowing Kazakhstan to share its experience within the OSCE,” he explained.
Judicial reform is another focus, with joint work involving courts and academic partners to expand professional training for judges and legal practitioners nationwide. Rogov said these programs are intended to reinforce judicial independence, a cornerstone of the country’s broader reform agenda.
“Across all these areas, the principle is the same: the OSCE is most effective when we facilitate, convene, and connect – supporting Kazakhstan’s own reform agenda with practical, tailored co-operation,” he added.
Risks facing Kazakhstan
The world, which is increasingly fractured these days, poses a real risk to Kazakhstan, Rogov said. Multilateralism comes under strain and trust between states weakens long before crises fully emerge.
“For a country like Kazakhstan – open, globally connected, and regionally pivotal – this matters. The OSCE helps mitigate that risk by serving as a bridge: a place where diverse interests still meet, where technical dialogue continues, and where co-operation remains possible even when politics is difficult,” Rogov said.
In a day-to-day security context, the ambassador pointed to cybercrime as another fast-rising, often underestimated threat. And this is where OSCE’s support is more concrete.
“For me, the most important change is the development of IT technologies. This is a great challenge for the whole human kind. Artificial intelligence, in particular, how it would affect the lives of humankind in this generation and the next. We need to be prepared for these changes,” Rogov said, welcoming the Swiss presidency’s decision to place this issue on its agenda.
OSCE’s security work
Beyond its economic-environmental and human dimension work, the OSCE is also active in areas such as arms control, border management, countering trafficking and terrorism.
Ambassador Alexey Rogov and Assel Satubaldina during a conversation in the OSCE office in Astana. Photo credit: Fatima Kemelova/ The Astana Times
“The OSCE’s security work is sometimes less visible than headline politics, but it is often where real risk reduction happens. In Kazakhstan, our office’s added value is that we can work in direct partnership with national institutions – ministries, academies, services – and translate OSCE commitments into practical capability,” Rogov said.
One example is the OSCE’s support for international seminars in Kazakhstan to advance implementation of the Vienna Document 2011, a core instrument for military transparency and information exchange. According to Rogov, Kazakhstan has emerged as a regional leader in this work, with the OSCE also facilitating regional exchanges.
“With Kazakhstan’s Border Service, we launched and continue to develop a UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] Center of Excellence in Lenger [a town in the Turkistan Region], including training of instructors and operational modules designed to strengthen monitoring capacity and counter cross-border risks, including illicit weapons and narcotics trafficking routes. The role of UAVs in global security calculations cannot be underestimated,” Rogov explained.
The OSCE is also engaged in counterterrorism efforts that emphasize prevention and reintegration. Citing Kazakhstan’s experience in its humanitarian repatriation operations, Jusan and Rusafa, Rogov noted the organization supports cross-regional dialogue on the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals returning from conflict zones in the Middle East.
“These are not abstract activities. They build professional networks, sharpen procedures, and strengthen resilience from the inside, in a way that is sustainable and nationally owned,” he added.
Role of civil society
The ambassador expressed optimism about the role of civil society and youth.
“Civil society plays a crucial role in resilience because strong societies build on trust, participation, and a culture of dialogue. In Kazakhstan, I see growing experience and professionalism across many civil society organizations and platforms for engagement. When government institutions and civil society interact constructively, policy becomes more grounded, and reforms become more durable,” he said.
There are several conditions that ensure civil society is engaged effectively. It entails regular, predictable consultations, a respectful space where people feel safe to speak openly, clarity about how their views are taken into account, and outreach to citizens beyond the big cities.
“When those elements are in place, dialogue becomes practical rather than symbolic,” he added.
Youth as strategic asset
The same approach applies to the youth, whom Rogov described as the nation’s “strategic asset.”
“Demographically, the country remains relatively young. Kazakhstan’s median age is around 32, which means the next generation is not a slogan. It is a major share of society and the economy. A large majority of our office’s staff are citizens of Kazakhstan and under the age of 40,” he said.
The OSCE works with young people in ways that reflect Kazakhstan’s priorities, from civic participation and skills development to integrity, climate awareness and digital resilience. Much of this focuses on helping young people and professionals engage with real-world challenges, including civic technology, digital rights, and environmental and sustainability issues.
“We also value regional and Central Asia–wide mechanisms that develop young professionals’ competencies because the region benefits when young experts are connected, trained, and able to work across borders,” Rogov said.
The ambassador said youth engagement should also reach out to regions and rural areas, and his personal priority is to “travel, listen and learn.”
“Because Kazakhstan is a country of many colours, and youth opportunities should not depend on geography. This is where much of the population lives, and country offices like ours can make a real difference,” he said.
Rogov acknowledged, smiling, that Kazakhstan is full of young talent. He mentioned Alisha Bisaliyeva, an eight-year-old chess player competing at the highest level, who once beat him in a game. “I consider it an honour, and a reminder not to underestimate the next generation,” he added.
Central Asia’s shared challenges
Building on his vast experience working with and in the region, Rogov sees Central Asia’s challenges as increasingly shared and regional integration as more visible. Among the common challenges he highlighted are water, climate, and environmental security, transnational threats, security architecture and trust.
“This is where the OSCE can be particularly effective: not by imposing one-size-fits-all ‘silver bullet’ solutions, but by enabling practical co-operation, building professional bridges, and supporting Central Asia’s own capacity to address challenges in a way that contributes to the security of the wider OSCE area,” Rogov said.
The conversation comes at a time when the OSCE is reflecting on its own role amid growing pressure on international law and multilateral cooperation. Marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act last year, the organization has reiterated that security in the OSCE area depends on shared principles backed by practical cooperation.
Rogov underlined that in half a century the OSCE has remained the world’s largest regional security organization, bringing together 57 participating states on the basis of equality and a comprehensive approach to security spanning the politico-military, economic-environmental and human dimensions.
“In many ways, if the OSCE did not exist, we would have to invent it today because we still need a forum where difficult issues can be discussed, and where practical solutions can be built even when geopolitics is challenging,” Rogov said.
