OSCE Spanish Chairmanship ready to support Kazakhstan's commitment to implement political reforms

ASTANA, 10 April 2007 - Kazakhstan is making good progress in planning democratic reforms and now it is time to implement them on the practical level, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, said today.

Minister Moratinos, speaking during a visit to Astana, said Kazakhstan's aspirations to hold the OSCE Chairmanship in 2009 would be well served by the country showing concrete democratic reforms that positively affect its citizens' lives.

"The practical implementation of political reforms is crucial in order to build a consensus among the 56 participating States to support the chairmanship bid," the Chairman-in-Office said.

Minister Moratinos also underlined that the OSCE Spanish Chairmanship would support Kazakhstan's efforts in this endeavour.

In meetings with top officials including President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Minister Moratinos welcomed the establishment of a State Commission on Democratization and the country's reform programme.

The OSCE has supported Kazakhstan during its reform work and will continue to do so, the Chairman-in-Office said in a meeting with Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin, giving the rule of law, fair trial standards and judicial independence as examples of fields where the Organization can offer support.

The agenda for the visit to Kazakhstan also includes meetings with non-governmental organizations, in which the Chairman-in-Office plans to emphasize the important role NGOs and civil society play in democracies.

Minister Moratinos also noted that the 2007 Spanish OSCE Chairmanship had made fully engaging Central Asia a priority for the Organization, reflecting the vital role played by Kazakhstan and its neighbours.