In this issue:
Kazakhstan, Iran Discuss Regional Security Issues
Kazakhstan Steps Up Efforts Promoting Religious Peace Globally
President Calls Election a Vote for Stability, Growing Prosperity, and Confirms Readiness to Work across Party Lines
Mountains --- Taular
Steppes --- Dalalar
Deserts --- Schulder
Caspian Sea --- Kaspii Teniz
Kazakhstan, Iran Discuss Regional Security Issues
Kazakhstan’s leaders met with a senior Iranian official on October 11, to discuss issues relating to regional security and the as yet unresolved legal status of the Caspian Sea.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev
and Foreign Minister
Kassymzhomart Tokaev met
Hassan Rouhani, Secretary of
Iran’s Supreme Council of
National Security, in Astana.
Speaking to reporters after the
meetings, Mr. Rouhani said:
“We discussed issues relating
to the Caspian Sea legal status
and confirmed intention to hold
a summit [of Caspian states] in
Tehran in the nearest future.”
Earlier this year, the Foreign
Ministers of the Caspian
littoral states called for a
summit in Tehran during the
second half of 2004. Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan all border the Caspian Sea, known for its riches of oil and caviar-producing sturgeon.
Mr. Rouhani added “both sides agreed that issues of terrorism, extremism, problems of drugs and organized crime are problems threatening all countries of the region, and the best way to fight them is through close cooperation.” The security councils of the two countries were asked to develop a package of documents on the fight against terrorism and ensuring security in the Caspian region.
Mr. Rouhani also serves as Iran’s top negotiator with the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to news reports, during meetings in Astana certain nuclear-related issues were also raised.
Kazakhstan Steps Up Efforts Promoting Religious Peace Globally
Kazakhstan continues to actively promote ideals of peace, dialogue and mutual understanding around the world and this week took another step sharing its experience of religious and ethnic harmony and seeking to help prevent what has been referred to as a “clash of civilizations.”
On October 13, Kazakhstan hosted the first meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in the southern city of Turkestan. The meeting focused on ways to further strengthen dialogue between religions. Participants included representatives of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shinto and other religions.
The Congress, which created the Secretariat, took place in Astana in September 2003, convened at the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. At the Congress, more than 120 senior delegates from 17 different religions shared their conviction that “the inter-religious dialogue is one of the key means for social development and the promotion of the well-being of all peoples, fostering tolerance, mutual understanding and harmony among different cultures and religions.” They stressed “extremism, terrorism and other forms of violence in the name of religion have nothing to do with genuine understanding of religion, but are threats to human life and hence should be rejected.”
The road to religious peace is a long and bumpy one, as the world increasingly sees religion used to meet personal aims. The participants of the Congress took to the road together by agreeing to hold more congresses regularly and create a secretariat to maintain contacts.
Kazakhstan’s high priority for the success of the congress was emphasized when participants elected Nurtai Abykayev, today the Chairman of Kazakshtan’s Senate, to lead the Secretariat.
During a meeting in Turkestan, a city with 1,500 years of history as a spiritual center for Turkic people, representatives of participating religions gathered to discuss and agree on the plans for a second full Congress now set for September 2006 in Astana.
Chairman Abykayev summed up the meeting’s results, saying “the most important thing is that we have come to know each other better and understand each other’s problems. Our major goal was achieved.”
The planning for the second congress calls for finding ways of closer interaction with international organizations dealing with peace and security, including the UN and the OSCE. The Secretariat announced plans to register the Congress as a permanent organization with the United Nations so it can call on political leaders around the world and their peoples as a recognized group.
The second Congress is expected to invite scientists, statesmen and public figures in order to broaden the discussion. The Congress is expected to issue an appeal to the international community for radical steps to fight poverty, disease and social injustice as fertile ground for religious extremism. Special resolutions will likely call on leaders engaged in conflicts to seek peace. The Secretariat is expected to meet once more in May 2005 in Almaty.
Since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan has seen a remarkable religious reawakening among its 100 ethnic groups and 40 different religions and faiths. Ancient mosques, churches and synagogues have been restored and hundreds of new ones built across the country as believers of all faiths began to enjoy the new climate of religious freedom and peace.
Kazakhstan’s Chief Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen believes Kazakhstan “can well serve as an authentic model for all countries in preventing and eliminating anti-Semitism and terrorism. Others can learn much from her [Kazakhstan’s] experience and incorporate many of her successful ideas.”
Joseph Grieboski, President of the Washington based Institute on Religion and Public Policy feels strongly “Kazakhstan as a predominantly Muslim, non-Arab state should be recognized for its contributions to the discussion of respect for religious rights. The Kazakh Government under President Nursultan Nazarbayev has promoted the global inter-religious dialogue and cooperation as a means to combat religious intolerance and violence.”
President Calls Election a Vote for Stability, Growing Prosperity, And Confirms Readiness to Work across Party Lines
“People voted for stability, peace, interethnic accord and improving living standards,” President Nursultan Nazarbayev said as the results of the September 19 elections were finalized.
Speaking at a forum of teachers in Astana on October 12, he said “winners are happy with their victories, and losers are traditionally not happy with everything, first of all with authorities and laws. That is axiomatic.”
He added “the loser always tends to blame anybody but himself. In order to win, he should not complain about his bad luck; it’s not emotions, but specific deeds and actions that are needed for victory.” The Otan party led by President Nazarbayev won a majority of seats in the Majilis, the lower house of the two-chamber Parliament, following the election.
President Nazarbayev said the election had special significance in light of the ongoing liberalization of the country’s political system. He noted: “We need to learn to listen to the minority and to use all constructive proposals of the opposition. I have never divided people into those on the left and on the right, and I remain of this view, respecting opinions of all citizens of our country.”
The President reminded the nation of his repeated calls for fair elections and stressed “shortcomings uncovered [during the elections] must be given assessments so that they are not allowed in the future.”
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which brings together 55 countries, including the U.S. and Canada, observed the September 19 election. The OSCE noted improvements over previous elections in Kazakhstan but said the vote “fell short of OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections in many respects.”
The OSCE will also be observing the U.S. election on November 2.
Things to Watch:
- Muslims in Kazakhstan, coming from 25 ethnic groups, are getting ready for the Holy Month of Ramadan which begins at sundown on October 14. It is a month of fasting, prayers five times a day, and doing good deeds, ending on November 14 with a major festival, called Oraza Ait [Eid al Fitr].
- Foreign ministers of the 16 nations of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) will meet in Kazakhstan on October 22 to discuss ways to strengthen their process. The Conference was officially inaugurated by leaders of the 16 nations at a summit in Almaty in June 2002. The 16 nations are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Russia, Uzbekistan, as well as the Palestine National Authority.
- President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan is scheduled to visit Sweden on October 25-26 where he will take part in a business forum.
________________________________________________________________________________
News Bulletin of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the USA and Canada
(Compiled from own sources and agency reports)
Contact person: Roman Vassilenko
1401 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20036
Tel.: (202) 232- 5488 ext. 104, Fax: (202) 232- 5845
