Astana OSCE Summit: NEW STAGE IN ORGANIZATION'S DEVELOPMENT

ASTANA. December 1. KAZINFORM The top-level Summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe starts its work in Astana Palace of Independence today.

38 heads of state and government, one vice president, seven vice prime ministers, 14 ministers and other top officials of the OSCE participating states and partner countries are expected to participate in the Summit. Besides, among the participants are the representatives of international and regional organizations, in particular, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Secretary of State of the U.S.A. Hillary Clinton, Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Petros Efthimiou, OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut. President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai will also attend the event.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev is expected to open the Summit. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Secretary of State-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev, Ban Ki-moon and Petros Efthimiou will address the participants after him.

Three-part Review Conference in Warsaw, Vienna and Astana was held prior to the Summit during which the representatives of civil society and governments evaluated implementation of the obligations assumed within the OSCE.

According to K. Saudabayev, within its chairmanship in the OSCE Kazakhstan has made every effort to justify the world's trust in our country and to meet the peoples' expectations based on the motto of Kazakhstan - Trust-Traditions-Transparency-Tolerance. The Secretary of State of Kazakhstan noted that convocation of the OSCE summit after the 11-year pause would help increasing the authority of the Organization and its relevance, strengthening trust and mutual understating among participating states.