Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Zhansseit Tuimebayev and RK Ambassador to Belgium Yerik Utembayev, Chairman of the Committee for Economic and Regional Policy of the Senate of the Kazakh Parliament Nurlygayim Zholdasbayeva and member of the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Senate Tasbay Simambayev have had a number of meetings with the PACE deputies in Strasbourg within the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Kazinform reported.
According to the press service of the Kazakh Embassy in Brussels, constructive negotiations with Rapporteur of Poland Tadeusz Iwiński, Chairman of the Political Committee of the PACE Göran Lindblad (Sweden), Vice President of the PACE Konstantin Kosachev (Chairman of the Committee for International Affairs of Russia's State Duma), Vice President of the PACE Paul Ville (Belgian Senator), head of the national delegation of Azerbaijan Arif Mamedov took place.
The parties focused on a wide range of issues connected with further integration of Kazakhstan into the international democratic institutions. Promotion of the initiative of Kazakhstan Parliament on gaining an observer status to the PACE and preparation for the oncoming visiting session of the PACE political committee in Astana on May 25-27 in 2009 were in focus of the meetings participants.
The European deputies highlighted that Kazakhstan's bid for an observer status to the PACE "shows firm decision of the country to follow the way of democratization of the society and observance of human rights and supremacy of law" and welcomed Kazakhstan's future chairmanship in the OSCE.
Vice President of the PACE Paul Ville (Belgian Senator) confirmed his intention to participate in an international scientific conference "Modern Kazakhstan and "Path to Europe" scheduled for May 21-22, 2009 in the Majilis of the Kazakh Parliament.
...