Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev met with UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Sarango Radnaragcha. The two discussed current international issues and outlined goals for further strengthening the partnership.
Welcoming Sarango Radnaragcha, the Senate Speaker noted the consonance of fundamental values, which creates the basis for ongoing cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UN. He also noted our country's commitment to further strengthening close and constructive ties with all UN structures.
During the discussion of the global geopolitical situation, Maulen Ashimbayev emphasized Kazakhstan's commitment to peacefully resolving conflicts through diplomatic means within the framework of international law and the UN Charter.
"We are deeply concerned about the serious escalation of tensions in the Middle East. President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev expressed support for the leaders of several Gulf countries amid the escalating situation. As the Head of State emphasized, Kazakhstan supports a swift de-escalation of the situation and a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy," he said.
In this regard, the Speaker of the Chamber noted the importance of the UN Regional Center in Almaty, which has become a key link in strengthening security in the Central Asian region. He called the establishment of the center a timely decision and a logical result of the trusting relationship between Kazakhstan and the UN.
The Speaker of the Senate also briefed his interlocutor on the progress of constitutional reform in Kazakhstan.
"In his annual Address last September, the Head of State proposed a transition to a unicameral Parliament. To this end, a Constitutional Reform Commission was subsequently established, which drafted a new Constitution that meets modern global challenges and the country's strategic development priorities. The draft new Constitution enshrines the principles of the rule of law, environmental protection, and ensuring citizens' rights, which are proclaimed the highest values of the state. The final decision on the draft Basic Law will be made by our citizens in a national referendum on March 15," noted Maulen Ashimbayev, familiarizing the UN Resident Coordinator with certain provisions of the draft new Basic Law.
The parties also discussed in detail areas of joint work in the coming period and exchanged views on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Central Asia and overcoming regional climate challenges amidst a tense geopolitical situation.
In turn, Sarango Radnaragcha thanked Kazakhstan for its initiatives aimed at achieving the SDGs, developing human capital, ensuring inclusion, and strengthening cooperation with the UN, noting their effectiveness. She also expressed readiness to develop multilateral relations and implement joint projects in a number of areas.
(Press Office of the Senate, 74-72-27. Photo by: A. Baizhumanov)
