Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-03-14-Speech-3-458-000"
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"en.20120314.26.3-458-000"2
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"Mr President, it is again a pleasure to deal with the latest developments on EU activities in Kazakhstan on behalf of Vice-President/High Representative Ashton.
The EU’s efforts and communication with the authorities, notably, the cases discussed in the regular human rights dialogue with Kazakhstan, also yielded results. The jailed human rights activist, Mr Zhovtis, was granted amnesty and released in February 2012. The trade union lawyer, Natalya Sokolova, who was sentenced to six years due to her role in the strikes, was also released, on 7 March, and her sentence was replaced by a three-year conditional sentence.
The EU has several times expressed its readiness to provide support to Kazakhstan for reforms and for the investigation of the events in December, as well as to address the underlying socio-economic problems that led to tensions in the country to begin with.
The EU is funding several projects that are already tackling issues that contribute directly to the improvement of the social, economic and political situation. These include projects on regional development, public service reform and modernisation, support for judicial and legal reform, for local governance and for civil society development, as well as several projects relating to democracy and human rights.
Promoting and supporting reforms in these areas, and further establishing relevant actors, are priorities both for civil society and the Kazakhstani authorities, at both central and regional levels.
We also expect that the perspective and negotiation process of the new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement will provide a stimulus for Kazakhstan to make more progress, notably in enhancing freedom of expression and freedom of association and encouraging real political pluralism.
To motivate progress, we foresee including fundamental political and economic reform commitments in the new agreement, including aligning regulations to EU norms and standards, and essential political clauses on human rights and the rule of law.
Kazakhstan’s commitments to these fundamental principles will be a strong and clear expression of its will to step up political and economic reforms. WTO accession would also be a clear expression that the country is taking economic transition seriously and is ready to commit to multilateral rules and would show that Kazakhstan is willing to bring increased legal certainty to our relations. This is in the interest not only of Kazakhstan, but also of the EU and the wider international community.
This is, by no means, a simple process. We are only at the beginning of these important negotiations. However, we are determined to ensure that the European Union continues to stand alongside the Republic of Kazakhstan and its citizens, both as a friend and a partner, on the path of political reform and economic development. In this endeavour, we count on the support of the European Parliament and we look forward to the resolution that you will adopt tomorrow.
Kazakhstan is a key player in the wider region of Central Asia and an influential actor in international forums. It has recently held the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Since its independence 20 years ago, it has been the European Union’s policy to support Kazakhstan’s economic and political progress. The EU has a strategic interest to further deepen our involvement with Kazakhstan and to fully develop mutual political cooperation potentials, especially considering the rapidly evolving regional integration dynamics.
Kazakhstan is a pragmatic partner, open to reform and willing to explore opportunities. The EU is also an important trade and investment partner for Kazakhstan. The recent start of negotiations on a new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Kazakhstan was a sign of the importance that the EU attaches to its cooperation with Kazakhstan. However, strengthening EU-Kazakhstan relations does not – and cannot – occur independently from the progress of political reforms in Kazakhstan.
The respect for common values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights are the basis for deepening our relations. This is a statement we jointly made with Kazakhstan in 2009, and we stand by it. Therefore, we maintain our position that the success of negotiations on the new agreement will be influenced by the advancement of political reforms and fulfilment of Kazakhstan’s international commitments.
In this context, we are concerned about the recent developments and the overall slow progress of political reform in Kazakhstan, including the limited implementation of international commitments. According to independent observers from the OSCE, both the early presidential and early parliamentary elections in 2011 and 2012 fell short of meeting democratic principles.
For the first time since Kazakhstan’s independence, we have seen considerable social tension, including a number of terrorist attacks. The strike of oil workers that started in May 2011 culminated in violent clashes with the police in December 2011, resulting in 17 dead and about 110 injured. To cope with evolving security challenges and threats, the Kazakh Government has amended a number of laws over the past few months. It has introduced changes that seem to empower the state more and more, while restricting the rights and freedoms of citizens, civil society and political opposition.
The Vice-President/High Representative received several questions from honourable Members of the Parliament about these developments and about the EU’s approach, opinions and actions taken. She and her service are actively following the situation in Kazakhstan. Over the past 11 months, there have been more than 10 statements issued by Catherine Ashton herself, and by the EU, at the OSCE Permanent Council. On 17 December 2011, immediately after the violent clashes, the High Representative’s spokesperson published a statement expressing concerns, calling for immediate investigation of the events and a peaceful solution to the situation of the striking oil workers.
The European External Action Service and the EU Delegation in Astana have maintained regular contacts with the authorities, calling on Kazakhstan to uphold its international obligations and commitments, in particular, regarding freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly. The Prosecutor General’s Office in Kazakhstan is carrying out an investigation, and the EU has requested that this process be thorough, transparent and not used to target any specific group or intimidate the Kazakh opposition.
On 2 February, the Vice-President/High Representative met with the Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kazykhanov, where she expressed her concerns and raised specifically the issue of the arrest of a number of opposition activists, including Mr Kozlov, leader of the Alga opposition movement and Mr Vinyavski, an independent journalist. As a follow-up, on 9 February, the EU Delegation in Astana carried out a démarche, asking for information on the health of Mr Kozlov and access to him for his wife and lawyer. As a result, the EU Delegation visited Mr Kozlov in a military hospital in Almaty where he had undergone surgery. The EU Delegation was able to confirm that he had not been ill-treated and that his surgery was due to a previously existing health issue, which was not an urgent matter."@en1
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