ASTANA — The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos, and Chairman of the Senate, the upper house of the Kazakh Parliament, Maulen Ashimbayev, reaffirmed their commitment to the shared values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, reported the PACE press service on April 27.
Astana. Photo credit: kaztag.kz
The relevant joint statement was made on the 20th anniversary of signing the Agreement on Cooperation between PACE and the Parliament of Kazakhstan.
“Marking the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Parliament of Kazakhstan, we reaffirm our strong commitment to the shared values of human rights, democracy and rule of law, which represent the foundation of our institutions,” the statement reads.
Over the past two decades, this agreement has served as a cornerstone for enhancing dialogue and fostering mutual understanding between the Council of Europe and Kazakhstan. The agreement also significantly strengthened the rule of law and democratic consolidation in Kazakhstan.
The statement welcomes Kazakhstan’s full abolition of the death penalty, underlines the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, and reiterates the sides’ commitment to strengthening their partnership and developing a deeper dialogue between the PACE and the Kazakh Parliament.
“Acknowledging the significance of advancing the rule of law, we will continue to support the efforts aimed at facilitating Kazakhstan’s accession to the Council of Europe conventions, thus integrating Kazakhstan in the common European legal space. We also welcome Kazakhstan’s aspiration to further solidify the measures aimed at combating violence against women by joining the Istanbul Convention in the near future,” the document reads.
