On consular consultations between Kazakhstan and Switzerland

Nur-Sultan - Bern, February 11, 2021 - As part of deepening bilateral cooperation in the consular sphere, the first meeting of the Kazakh-Swiss consular consultations was held via videoconference, with the participation of representatives of the ministries of justice and heads of diplomatic missions of the two countries.

The Kazakh delegation at the negotiations was headed by the Director of the Consular Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Bauyrzhan Akatayev, the Swiss - by the Deputy Director General of the Consular Directorate of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Mr. Laurent Perriard.

In his welcoming address, Deputy Secretary of State - Director General of the Consular Directorate of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, Mr. Johannes Matyassy noted that the organization of such consultations during the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic is a vivid example of the parties' commitment to the progressive development of friendly ties between two countries.

During the negotiations, the parties discussed a wide range of issues of interaction within the framework of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, expanding the bilateral legal framework and the use of modern digital technologies in the provision of consular services.

The key points of the negotiations were the issues of enhancing interaction on various issues of ensuring the protection of the rights and interests of citizens, which have become relevant during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as consideration of consular and legal topics in the field of documents processing and their apostille.

The participants during the meeting have exchanged information on the measures taken by the parties in the areas of digitalization of consular services, a phased move away from outdated paper procedures for citizens' appeals, as well as harmonizing the regulatory framework. Taking into account the achievements of Switzerland in the field of digitalization, the prospects for organizing joint trainings and seminars in this area were considered.

At the end of the event, the parties confirmed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation across the entire spectrum of consular relations.