Kazakhstan is purposefully and progressively realizing its obligations in human rights - Kazakh MFA
When asked to comment on the Resolution of Kazakhstan adopted by the European Parliament on February 11, 2021 Mr Smadiyarov said that it contained «preconceived», tendentious and biased criticism of the human rights situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
«In our opinion, the text of the resolution distorts the real state of affairs in our country and was initiated by malicious politicians, fueled by falsified information from destructive groups,» he said.
He adds that Kazakhstan is purposefully and progressively realising its obligations in the field of human rights. President Tokayev launched large-scale political reforms in accordance with the concept of a «Listening State», which he declared.
«Considering that the member states of the European Union support the reforms initiated by President Tokayev, this European Parliament’s document causes bewilderment and incomprehension regarding the reliability of the information used in preparation of the Resolution,» Mr Smadiyarov said.
- In this case, what can you say about the mechanisms of preparing this Resolution?
- We know that some resolutions in Brussels are adopted by MEPs «automatically», without a thorough fact check or study of the essence of the issue. In this regard, we are not surprised by the fact that the new resolution is replete with many «old cases» that traditionally «wander» from one document to another.
We also understand that a number of MEPs, despite their positive opinion regarding current trends in the development of our country, voted to adopt this resolution in accordance with the practice of internal party discipline.
We are grateful to those objectively minded MEPs, thanks to whom the resolution recognizes real changes in Kazakhstan. In particular, the creation of the Supreme Council for Reforms and the announcement by the Kazakh authorities of a new stage of reforms, in particular, on issues of law enforcement practice, development of the judicial system and the priority of human rights are noted.
Kazakhstan’s abolition of the death penalty and the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are also welcomed.
The decision of the Kazakh authorities to review and cancel the decision of the tax authorities to collect fines and restrict the activities of a number of NGOs, announced on February 3, 2021, is positively assessed.
- How do you evaluate the prospects for further cooperation with the European Parliament?
- Kazakhstan is ready to continue working with the European Parliament, including through such a significant instrument of interaction as the Committee for Parliamentary Cooperation «Republic of Kazakhstan - European Union». At the same time, it is very important for us that the dialogue should be honest and mutually respectful.
