OSCE SUMMIT 2010: KAZAKHSTAN AS A REGIONAL AND GLOBAL LEADER

Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010 was a major event in the history of our state.

For the first time in history, OSCE management passed to the post-Soviet republic. Kazakhstan was the first among the CIS member states and the first among the countries of Asia, the Muslim and Turkic-speaking world in the entire history of one of the most authoritative organizations in the Eurasian space to chair the Organization. Within the framework of Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the OSCE, for the first time in 11 years after the summit held in Istanbul in 1999, and for the first time in the 21st century on December 1-2, 2010, Astana hosted the heads of state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The Summit was attended by the heads of state and government, politicians from 56 countries, about 600 representatives of international organizations, 1500 journalists covered the Forum.

         In his welcoming speech, the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbassy N. A. Nazarbayev stressed the importance of "the triumph of common sense to continue the joint movement towards a secure future for our peoples", and also noted that Kazakhstan was faced with the task of bringing the Organization for security and co-operation in Europe out of the crisis.
         In his speech, Elbassy stated the need for meaningful and structural changes in the OSCE's policy and structure and suggested expanding the number of the organization's baskets and institutions, including the establishment of the OSCE Security Institute, which could be located in Astana (Nur-Sultan).
         In particular, N.A. Nazarbayev proposed to distinguish interfaith tolerance into a separate dimension of the OSCE, using the platform of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions for these purposes, to develop a document "Towards Tolerance in the New Decade". He also proposed the formation of an OSCE Ministerial Council to coordinate the fight against cross-border crime, drug trafficking and illegal migration.
         It is also worth noting that the Republic of Kazakhstan, represented by N. A. Nazarbayev, during its presidency of the Organization, helped Kyrgyzstan overcome the political crisis, preventing the escalation of the conflict within the country and stabilizing the situation there. Humanitarian assistance totalling $11 million was sent to Kyrgyzstan. As a result of the work done, we can say with confidence about the unique abilities of Elbassy to govern the state and unshakable authority among other countries.
         During the chairmanship, special attention was paid to the economic and environmental dimension of the OSCE. Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed to develop a new document of the Organization "Maastricht plus", which will take into account the development trends of the world and post-crisis realities. The ideas of the priority of strengthening economic security, as well as allocating financial and economic security to a separate basket, received full support among the countries participating in the Summit.
         The creation of the OSCE Environmental Forum, which would address global environmental issues, such as the revival of the former territories of nuclear test sites, the Aral Sea problems and other topical issues in the field of environmental protection, was touched upon by N. A. Nazarbayev in his speech.
         The main initiative of N. A. Nazarbayev at the OSCE Summit is the transition of the Organization from a Euro-Atlantic organization to a Euro-Asian one, which means the formation of a single space of cooperation within the borders of four oceans: from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. Given that the meeting was held in Nur-Sultan, the very center of Eurasia, the idea of Elbassy has an indisputable justification.
         Following the results of the summit, the Astana Declaration was adopted. In it, the Summit participants reaffirmed their commitment to the OSCE principles and values enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe and other documents of the Organisation. In addition, representatives of the OSCE member states committed themselves to continue working in all three dimensions, to increase efforts to resolve conflicts and hotbeds of instability, promote human rights, and breathe new life into the Organisation in response to the new security challenges.
         The two-day meeting in the capital of Kazakhstan was highly appreciated by the heads of delegations. Thus, former OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut noted in his speech that the work during the Republic's chairmanship in the OSCE, as well as the personally multifaceted and fruitful activities of N. A. Nazarbayev as OSCE Chairman, "gave a new impetus" to the further development of the Organization. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a message in honor of Kazakhstan's Independence Day, where she highlighted the country's OSCE chairmanship and the Nur-Sultan Summit, which played a historic role in the development of Kazakhstan as a regional and world leader. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE the most successful.
The Astana Summit is evidence of the country's high authority, balanced multi-vector foreign policy and recognition of international initiatives and ideas of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan-Elbassy N. A. Nazarbayev.