Kanat Saudabayev Calls for Cooperation Among OSCE
Earlier in Kazakhstan this year, the current OSCCE chairperson, Kanat Saudabayev, made a recent trip to Vienna to discuss regional security challenges and protracted conflicts. The Kazakh secretary of State and foreign minister addressed the entire OSCE parliamentarians and called for the group’s entire cooperation.
According to Kazakhstan President of the OSCE, the cooperation within the organization is an important factor in dealing with several security challenges within the region. Kanat Saudabayev specifically referred to the European arms control regime as well as the possibility of protracted conflicts as the emerging threats to security within the region.
The OSCE chairman spoke at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Winter Meeting last February 18. According to him, the organization’s parliamentarians played an important role in the negotiations between the involved states. In line with that, Saudabayev also mentioned Kazakhstan’s intention to host a key parliamentary forum from May 14 to 16 in Almaty. This forum would cover regional security issues surrounding Eurasia as well as several OSCE concerns.
Kanat Saudabayev also mentioned the importance of OSCE’s role in the monitoring of elections, particularly the recent election process in Ukraine. Aside from that, Kanat Saudabayev also mentioned the importance of OSCE’s involvement in the Transdniestrian settlement process as well as in the resolution of the protracted conflicts in the South Caucasus.
The OSCE chairperson urges the group to strengthen their cooperation in order to help resolve conflicts as well as to help people understand the importance of working together towards attaining a peaceful coexistence. “I would like to call on parliamentarians to make good use of parliamentarian diplomacy to overcome the lack of trust between states and people.” Saudabayev says.
After his visit to Vienna, Kanat Saudabayev also flew to South Caucasus to meet with the leaders of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to discuss plans on how to overcome conflicts.