Pia Kauma with Deputy Speaker Zhamilya Isaeva and members of the parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek, 22 April 2022COPENHAGEN, 26 April 2022 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President and Special Representative on Central Asia Pia Kauma (MP, Finland) today completed an official visit to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, with the objective of strengthening the engagement of parliamentarians from the two countries in the work of the PA, listen to their issues and concerns, and identify areas where the Assembly can offer support.
Her visit to Kyrgyzstan last week included meetings with Deputy Speaker Zhamilya Isaeva and members of parliament, Deputy Foreign Minister Dinara Kemelova, and Ombudsman Atyr Abdrakhmanova. Kauma also visited the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, headed by Ambassador Alexey Rogov, to learn more about the projects carried out by the OSCE in all three dimensions.
Addressing students of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek on 22 April, Kauma discussed how to promote stability, peace and democracy in the OSCE region. She offered some background on the work of the OSCE PA, emphasizing that it is a unique place where the elected representatives of over one billion people from different backgrounds and political cultures can come together for debates and dialogue. Kauma highlighted in particular the PA’s election observation activities and the importance of parliamentary diplomacy.
“Parliaments,” she said, “are important players in conflict prevention, peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction, and have the potential to play an even more critical role.” Kauma stressed the role of parliamentary oversight functions, noting that parliamentarians are well placed to promote mediation and build consensus on a broad range of issues. “These core functions naturally allow them to make important contributions to preventive diplomacy,” she said. She also highlighted the need for the OSCE to review and improve its toolkit, and elicited the students’ ideas on what role the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly could play in promoting a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine.
Pia Kauma meeting the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev and members of the Senate, Nur-Sultan, 25 April 2022In Kazakhstan on 25-26 April, Kauma held extensive meetings with the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Head of the Delegation of Kazakhstan to the OSCE PA Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber Yerlan Koshanov, as well as members of the delegation of Kazakhstan to the OSCE PA including Deputy Senate Chairman and OSCE PA Vice-President Askar Shakirov.
Meetings were also held with Minister of Justice Kanat Musin, Prosecutor General Berik Asilov and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi focusing on political reforms, reform of the judiciary, official investigations into the events of January 2022 as well as Kazakhstan’s role in promoting regional stability.
Prior to her official meetings, Kauma met with civil society representatives in Bishkek, Almaty and Nur-Sultan as well as with representatives of the international community. The programme will conclude with an online exchange with Kazakhstan’s Commissioner for Human Rights Elvira Azimova.
Throughout the meetings, she welcomed the strong engagement of both countries in the work of the OSCE PA and explored areas for further co-operation while also highlighting the important contribution of OSCE field operations on the ground.
Photos of Kauma's visit to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are available on Flickr.
