Kazakhstan ratifies enhanced partnership deal with EU

    President Nursultan Nazarbayev has ratified the agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union on the one hand, and the EU member states on the other hand, a presidential press statement said on March 25.
    The purpose of the law is the creation of a modern legal framework for expansion of partnership and cooperation between Kazakhstan and EU on a wide range of issues based of mutual trust and respect for the national interests of the parties.
    Enhanced partnership and cooperation deal between Kazakhstan and the EU was signed on December 21, 2015 in Astana.
    The implementation of this historic agreement would mark a new stage of bilateral cooperation, will significantly expand the cooperation and open up new opportunities in all fields of mutual interest, according to the both sides.
    The agreement puts a strong emphasis on democracy and the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms and sustainable development as well as civil society cooperation, including involvement of civil society in the public-policy making, notably in the implementation of this Agreement.
    The focus of enhanced cooperation in foreign and security policy will be in the areas of regional stability, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, conflict prevention and crisis management.
    The trade part of the agreement will ensure better a regulatory environment for the economic operators in areas such as trade in services, the establishment and operation of companies, capital movements, raw materials and energy, government procurement and intellectual property rights.
    The agreement will also enhance concrete cooperation in some other 29 key policy areas, including in the sectors of economic and financial cooperation, energy, transport, environment and climate change, employment and social affairs, culture, education and research, according to Akipress.