Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the European Union together with the European Institute for Asian Studies held a round table" on the topic: "Referendum on amendments and changes to the Constitution of Kazakhstan and the prospects of relations with the European Union", Delovoy Kazakhstan reports.
The event was attended by representatives of the European External Action Service, the diplomatic corps accredited in Brussels, think-tanks, non-governmental organizations, local and international media, as well as representatives of the Kazakh diaspora.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the EU, Mr. Timur Sultangozhin informed the guests of the event in detail about the results of the Republican referendum on the adoption of amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He spoke about the stages of consideration of the package of amendments proposed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Constitution, from the creation of a special working group of legal scholars to the popular vote at the referendum on June 5 this year.
Mr. Sultangozhin noted that the national referendum on amendments and changes to the Constitution has become an important part of the large-scale political and economic reforms carried out in the country. He also noted that the referendum allowed every citizen to participate directly in a historical event that will determine the future of Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh diplomat drew the attention of the audience to the four implemented packages of reforms initiated by the head of state. These reforms are aimed at deep democratization and modernization of the country's political system, and ultimately the creation of a new Kazakhstan, he said.
Speaking on behalf of the EU, Head of the Central Asia Department Dietmar Chrysler said that Kazakhstan is an important and reliable partner of the EU. He noted that the EU supports the efforts of the leadership of Kazakhstan aimed at further democratization of society and political modernization of the state. He also welcomed the political reforms that are being implemented in Kazakhstan and the holding of a national referendum. According to him, the majority of citizens support the referendum, which is an indicator of the high support of the country's population for the President Tokayev.
Director of the European Institute of Asian Studies, Ms. Lin Goetals drew attention to the importance of the decision of the leadership of Kazakhstan to amend the Constitution through a referendum, which gives every citizen the opportunity to participate in building the future of their country. She also noted the scale of the changes being made to the main law of the country, and stressed the great work to be done on its practical implementation.
During the event, an active Q&A session was held, which showed the genuine interest of the European community in the changes taking place in Kazakhstan. Overall, the participants of the event positively assessed the political and economic reforms being implemented in our country, noted their scale and special importance in building a democratic society.
