Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13447 | 20 March 2014

Parliamentary co-operation with Kazakhstan

Signatories: Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Khalid CHAOUKI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Carlos COSTA NEVES, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Joseph DEBONO GRECH, Malta, SOC ; Mr Reha DENEMEÇ, Turkey, EDG ; Lady Diana ECCLES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Bernd FABRITIUS, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Mihai-Viorel FIFOR, Romania, SOC ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ, Spain, SOC ; Ms Anette HÜBINGER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Rafael HUSEYNOV, Azerbaijan, ALDE ; Mr Valeri JABLIANOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Mr Tedo JAPARIDZE, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Philipp MIßFELDER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Marcel OBERWEIS, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr José Ignacio PALACIOS, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernard PASQUIER, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Gabriela PECKOVÁ, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Mr Cezar Florin PREDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Ms Karin STRENZ, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Ionuţ-Marian STROE, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Volker ULLRICH, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Piotr WACH, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Karl-Georg WELLMANN, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Tobias ZECH, Germany, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Kazakhstan is a member State of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and has signed several Council of Europe conventions. This closer co-operation is to be welcomed as an important step in the aim of the Council of Europe to promote democracy, the rule of law and respect of human rights also beyond its borders, in particular in neighbouring countries.

The Parliament of Kazakhstan has signed a co-operation agreement with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 2004 and sends parliamentary delegations to its sessions. Kazakhstan is the only country with such a co-operation agreement. No other co-operation agreements have been signed since, because this form of co-operation has de facto been replaced by the “Partner for democracy” status. Assembly Resolution 1680 (2009) indicates that Kazakhstan would in principle be eligible to request this status.

Kazakhstan is one of the pillars of stability in the Euro-Asian region, as stated in Assembly Resolution 1526 (2006) on the situation in Kazakhstan and its relations with the Council of Europe. Therefore, the Parliamentary Assembly should intensify its co-operation with the Parliament of Kazakhstan and seek to identify operational projects for increased mutual co-operation with the Council of Europe.