Tokaev Takes Kazakhstan’s Case to the OSCE
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister, Kassymzhomart Tokaev, made the case that Kazakhstan should chair the OSCE in 2009 to the organization’s Permanent Council today. His statement (PDF) makes the case that Kazakhstan is moving in the right direction and lays out his government’s ambitious goals for the OSCE. In his closing statements (PDF), it looks as if his feathers were a bit ruffled by criticism of Kazakhstan’s progress.
I am glad that everyone in this hall recognizes the progress made in Kazakhstan in the areas of economic reforms, political transformation of the society, democracy, the rule of law, and good governance.
At the same time I express disagreement with those who consider that these steps and actions are not enough to be the OSCE Chairman in Office in the year 2009. I think that our striving and inspiration should be welcomed and supported and our right respected as well.
He said that he looks forward to an “impartial” and depoliticized dialogue with the OSCE over his country’s possible chairmanship.
What are Kazakhstan’s odds? They seem to be making the case pretty hard that they deserve recognition for what they have achieved and that they genuinely want help to improve more now that they have run into some resistance. Will the US and other OSCE members who say it’s not time for Kazakhstan to chair the organization relent in the end? Your guess is as good as mine.
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Tags: Kazakhstan, OSCE.
Posted by Nathan on October 27th, 2006
Permalink | Trackback | Comments: 7
Comments
Time: 10/28/2006, 2:02 am
I’m a big fan of the OSCE, so I shouldn’t give you ammo Johnnie, but have you ever heard it called “The Organization for Sitting in Cafes in Europe”?
I’m a bit sick of Kazakhstan’s Euro-obsession. Fine, you’re Europeans, Evropa-Plus is the name of a radio station, you’re cousins of the Magyars, there’s a fake Eiffel Tower in Almaty. But if you want a really convincing argument, hold a decent election.
Time: 10/29/2006, 10:57 pm
The fact that they have numerous times said they want the chairmanship basically for prestige purposes, the fact that the quite openly undergo reforms in the name of OSCE chairmanship and not as goods-in-and-of-themselves, will probably not impress the decision makers.
Time: 10/30/2006, 12:24 am
European Union lets in Romania and Bulgaria, both with incredible records of corruption, Baltic states still were discriminating against Russian-speaking population. EU used the reforms as a condition for joining, so why not OSCE and Kazakhstan?
Time: 10/30/2006, 12:55 am
The issue isn’t membership. Kazakhstan is already a member; hence the right of OSCE election observers to be here. It’s the chairmanship that is at stake. it’s the question of whether Kazakhstan should lead the OSCE (for a year). Which obviously has stricter requirements than just membership.
Time: 10/30/2006, 5:24 am
KZblog, sure. OSCE could still use similar methods.
Time: 11/1/2006, 5:54 pm
Kazakhstan is clearly moving in the right direction. A period of consolidation is underway which should see approximately 3 major parties competing for votes in the future. Furthermore the work of a so-called ‘Constitutional Reform Commission’ should recommend in the coming months a slight redistribution of power to Parliament, as well as improving the fashion in which it is elected. I see no harm in allowing Kazakhstan the chair for 2009 as a means of encouraging Astana to open up.
It’s important that Europe realises that we probably need Kazakhstan more than it needs us (remember Uzbekistan to see what happens when the West gives up on trying to lure the former S.U into Democracy). It is better to have little influence than none.
The steps taken by Nazarbayev may well be only baby-steps towards Democracy, but look how long things took in Taiwan and South Korea. Sooner or later Kazakhstan will get there. Even if the authorities want to control reform, once they start the ball rolling the inevitable outcome of pluralism occurs.
Kazakhstan may be an authoritarian republic. However it is better to support a dictator nudging towards democracy, such as Nazarbayev, than a democrat moving towards dictatorship, such as Putin.
Time: 10/27/2006, 5:32 pm
the osce is meaningless