Over 20 years Kazakhstan stays reliable 'bridge' at crossroads of world cultures and civilizations - European experts' opinion
Former Secretary General of the Council of Europe, President of the Institute for Social Studies and Research, Vienna, Walter Schwimmer and Vice-President and manager of the International Center for Advanced and Comparative EU-Russia/NIS Research (ICEUR-Vienna) Hans-Georg Heinrich, who delivered speeches at a roundtable titled "Kazakhstan in 2011" organized by the Kazakh Embassy in Austria and the Permanent Mission to the OSCE hold this view. They consider that the country represents a dynamically developing society with a great potential, which combines institutions of international traditions and local values.
"In relations with Europe, Kazakhstan not only masters experience of economic development and technologic modernization and effectively carries out an energy dialog, but holds a landmark to such European political values as pluralism of opinions, supremacy of law and ensuring of human rights.
In 2010 the OSCE chairmanship, which was started as a challenge for the young Central Asian state, was successfully completed with holding of the Summit at the top level and adoption of the Astana Declaration.
This year Kazakhstan will assume the office of the OIC chair. In the current international situation it is a serious challenge, but, at the same time it is a good chance to contribute to ensuring peace and mutual concord in the region.
"I sincerely wish Kazakhstan successful chairmanship in the OIC as well as success in ensuring fair and transparent presidential elections," former Secretary General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer noted.
As Professor of Political Science at the University of Vienna Hans-Georg Heinrich considers, main priorities of the political processes in one or another state are determined by its geopolitical position and regional realities. By the example of Central Asia such priorities, in the expert's opinion, are stability and security - real challenges, which Kazakhstan withstands.
"Some western societies accustomed to geopolitical realities of a long-term period of absence of wars and armed conflicts in the region, often do not realize how lucky they are, perceiving it as a given, having an opportunity to put democratic values and human rights at the forefront of internal political processes," the Professor stressed in his speech.
At the same time, the expert thinks that at present the democratic processes in Kazakhstan meet the current situation in the region. According to his estimations, today Kazakhstan deserves special attention not only as a big exporter of natural resources, but as a dynamically developing society, which is able to ensure its own balance between the local traditions and modern institutions.