The Council of Europe welcomes the initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan in the field of human rights protection

STRASBOURG, 23 June 2021 - The Director of External Relations of the Council of Europe Mr. Zoltan Taubner was informed in detail about further measures taken by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the human rights sphere.

The Head of the Council of Europe's foreign policy body praised the ongoing internal political reforms in the country and new effective initiatives that will contribute to the sustainable development of the state. “This is great news for the Council of Europe, which is interested in implementing a number of joint programs with Kazakhstan,” - Mr. Taubner emphasized.

“Particular importance of this Decree of the President Tokayev and newly adopted Plan is that it provides a mechanism of implementation, as well as a regular reporting on specific results,” – the Director of External Relations said.

Among the priorities outlined in the Plan, he noted the importance of implementing such directions as increasing the effectiveness of interaction with non-governmental organizations and eliminating discrimination against women.

Mr. Taubner welcomed the successful implementation of the Neighbourhood Co-operation Priorities for Kazakhstan for the period of 2019-2022 and stressed the importance of a positive example of work with our country not only in Central Asia, but also in regions such as the Maghreb and the Middle East. This position is shared by almost all member-states of the Council of Europe.