Today in Astana, as a delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, we were received by the President of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and also met with the Speaker of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Mr. Yerlan Koshanov, the Minister of Energy, Mr. Yerlan Akkenzhenov, and the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mr. Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
During the meetings, we held useful and constructive discussions on future cooperation prospects between the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliament of Kazakhstan, preventing the shallowing of the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan's renewable energy policy, the transportation of Kazakh oil to Europe via the Middle Corridor, the activities of the Astana International Financial Centre, possible political support from the OSCE PA for the agenda related to climate change in Central Asia, as well as observing the elections to the unicameral parliament, which will start operating for the first time in the country in August, and other issues.
Kazakh officials expressed their interest in closer cooperation with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly regarding the results of the Regional Environmental Summit held in Astana on April 22-24 and the initiatives put forward by the leaders.
We drew attention to the possibility of providing political support by the OSCE PA Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment to the initiatives put forward by Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries in general regarding climate change and environmental problems, including the creation of an International Water Organization,
and the measures taken to prevent the shallowing of the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea, and the inclusion of relevant provisions in the documents to be adopted in this direction in the upcoming period.
Azay Guliyev
Member of the Milli Majlis
