Constitutional Reforms in Kazakhstan Presented at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Strasbourg, January 26-28, 2026 – Senator of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Sultanbek Makezhanov took part in the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

During the current session, PACE members elected Petra Bayr (Austria, “Socialists, Democrats and Greens”) as the new President of the Assembly.

As part of the visit, S.Makezhanov met with the new President of PACE, during which the senator conveyed a congratulatory message from the Chairperson of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Maulen Ashimbayev, on her election to this high office.

The meeting addressed topical issues of bilateral cooperation, including the organization of joint events within PACE. S.Makezhanov provided a detailed overview of the political reforms being carried out in Kazakhstan, with particular emphasis on the transition to a unicameral parliament and the constitutional reform.

The President of PACE expressed interest in the novellas of the parliamentary reform, the development of a multi-party system, interaction between Parliament and other branches of government, gender equality, and the protection of women’s rights.

The parties also discussed Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the United Nations in the context of human rights protection. Special attention was given to the economic situation in Kazakhstan and the development of rural areas.

At the conclusion of the meeting, S.Makezhanov invited P.Bayr to visit Kazakhstan at a time convenient for her.

In addition, S.Makezhanov held a meeting with the Chairperson of the PACE political group “European Conservatives, Patriots and Allies,” Zsolt Németh. The parliamentarians discussed the current agenda of the Assembly, parliamentary reform in Kazakhstan, and cooperation between Kazakhstan and PACE.

On the sidelines of the plenary session, separate meetings were also held with Michael German, a member of “Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe”, as well as a group of Lithuanian MPs led by the Chair of the national delegation to PACE, Birute Vėsaitė, and the doyen of the PACE parliamentary corps Emanuelis Zingeris.

PACE members were informed about the progress of political transformations in Kazakhstan and the upcoming parliamentary and constitutional reforms.