Kazakhstani MP delegation headed by the Senate Speaker e Maulen Ashimbayev took part in the meeting of the Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly.
During the meeting that was held in St. Petersburg, its participants - the heads of the national Parliaments of the CIS countries - considered several issues related to the activities of the Assembly, including the results of the organization’s work in 2020.
One of the issues on the agenda was the consideration of the report of international observers from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly on the monitoring results of the elections to the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which were held on January 10 of this year. Speaking at the meeting, Maulen Ashimbayev thanked the organization for sending a group of international observers to the election of members to the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
“The past elections were an important stage in the political reform implemented in Kazakhstan. This time, not only Mazhilis members, but also the members of local representative bodies - maslikhats were elected according to party lists. At the initiative of the Head of State, for the first time the party lists provided for a 30% quota for women and young people. The institution of parliamentary opposition, which received considerable rights within the activities of the Mazhilis, has been legislatively consolidated,” Maulen Ashimbayev said.
According to the Senate Speaker the Kazakhstan’s political system will further be improved as part of implementation of the modernization agenda of the Head of State.
“When speaking to the Parliament of the new convocation, taking into account the experience of the past elections, the President of Kazakhstan proposed to reduce the threshold for political parties to enter the Mazhilis of Parliament from 7% to 5%. This will facilitate the development of political competition in the country. A column “against all” will be introduced in the ballots at all levels to create conditions for the protection of the citizens’ electoral rights,” Maulen Ashimbayev said.
The meeting participants also discussed the activities of the Economy Expert Council under the Assembly, as well as tasks for the implementation of the CIS Economic Development Strategy until 2030.
As the leaders of the CIS Parliaments believe, such joint work will give an impetus to the recovery of the economies of our countries in the post-pandemic period.
In addition, Maulen Ashimbayev held a number of bilateral meetings in St. Petersburg as part of his working visit.
Maulen Ashimbayev discussed the dynamics of the Kazakh-Uzbek relations with the Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva. The colleagues noted with satisfaction the implementation of all the agreements reached during the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan in April 2019, as well as the items of the Cooperation Roadmap signed during the official visit of Tanzila Narbaeva to Kazakhstan in November 2019. The visit of Maulen Ashimbayev to Uzbekistan, which is planned for this summer, will give another impetus to the development of the relations.
“The close, comprehensive and trusting relations between our states fully meet the national interests of both countries. Much has already been done in the bilateral relations. The dynamics of the interstate interaction is set by the Presidents of our countries. The Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, in its turn, is ready to work actively and contribute to the further implementation of the existing potential of our multifaceted cooperation,” Maulen Ashimbayev emphasized.
During negotiations with the Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matvienko, the interlocutors rated highly the level of development of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia, emphasizing the potential for their further deepening.
“Our inter-parliamentary interaction is an important component of interstate cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia. The prosperity of our countries in many ways depends on good-neighborly, constructive and mutually beneficial relations,” said the Speaker of the Senate of Kazakhstan.
The two sides also discussed several topical issues on the bilateral agenda of Kazakhstan and Russia.
The key topics of the talks between Maulen Ashimbayev and the Chairperson of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova were the prospects for strengthening of inter-parliamentary interaction and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries. Congratulating the interlocutor on the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the head of the Kazakh delegation confirmed the intention of our country to take part in the restoration of the infrastructure of Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition, the interlocutors expressed hope for intensification of trade and economic cooperation in the post-pandemic period.
Maulen Ashimbayev also held a bilateral meeting with the Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan. The interlocutors noted that trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations between our countries are actively developing despite the pandemic.
(Press Service of the Senate, 74-72-27. Photo by E. Ukibayev)
