Kazakhstan. Astana. December 2010. The grand opening of the seventh summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. For the first time in the history of the OSCE this meeting was held in the capital of one of the former Soviet states and the Turkic world. President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev opened the summit.

73 delegations arrived in Astana. They were headed by 28 heads of state, 10 prime ministers, heads of 33 international organizations, UN Secretary-General and 14 foreign ministers. The main task was to confirm Kazakhstan’s participation and interest in promoting the values ​​of the OSCE. The key aspect of the debate was the strategy of development of international framework.

 

Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan

-We are moving to a new level of security and cooperation in the broader coordinates - from ocean to ocean. It is about shaping a common security space within the four oceans - from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Arctic to the Indian. Astana summit restores the summit tradition which had been interrupted by 11 years after the Istanbul summit. This is a sign of the revival of the organization. Today in Astana, we are launching the formation of the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian community of common and indivisible security.

The main priorities declared by the president of Kazakhstan during the chairmanship in OSCE in 2010 – are the so-called principle of the four T’s: trust, tradition, transparency and tolerance. The main achievement of Kazakhstan's chairmanship is that the country was able to drastically change the world's attitude toward the problems of Central Asia in terms of European security.

The ultimate test of the effectiveness of the OSCE and Kazakhstan as its Chairman came in the form of dramatic events in Kyrgyzstan. Together with other international organizations the danger of large-scale civil war in the neighboring republic was prevented. Kazakhstan is the initiator of development plans of assistance to Kyrgyzstan.

Settlement of protracted conflicts is one of the priorities of Kazakhstan. The objective is to provide an interactive platform for the parties involved in the conflict, search for balanced solutions of disputes. The main objective is to prevent the emergence of new conflicts in the OSCE area.

Particular attention is given to Afghanistan. Peaceful settlement of the situation in the country, fight against drug trafficking, economic and humanitarian aid – these are the key aspects in the solution of the so-called Afghan problem. Kazakhstan sees it through the prism of regional and global security.

July 2010. Third Astana Economic Forum. The attention of the participants is focused on the global economic crisis. The main initiative is announced by President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The organization needs new priorities in development. It is crucial to take into account post-crisis realities and trends and lay the foundation for full Eurasian integration.

June 2010. Astana. OSCE Conference on tolerance and nondiscrimination. The forum reiterated the importance of experience exchange on issues of interethnic and interreligious harmony.

In the course of one year Kazakhstan, as the chairman of the Organization, has held dozens of activities inside the country and abroad. These events were dedicated to solving problems in priority areas, the so-called "baskets" of the OSCE. Representatives of Kazakhstani non-governmental organizations were active participants in the conferences and seminars. The apogee of the seventh summit of the OSCE has been the adoption of the final document - Astana Declaration "Towards a security community," which reaffirmed the fundamental principles of international structure. The Astana Summit was a historic event.

 

Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan

-Today in Astana, we have drawn a line under a difficult stage in the history of our organization. In the new historical conditions, the Helsinki spirit has been revived. I am convinced that the Eurasian vector is able to give a powerful impetus to the OSCE, bring together East and West, North and South and reinforce understanding of the key issues of world order. In this I see the quintessential spirit of Astana.

Kazakhstan's chairmanship has reinforced the work of the OSCE, revived the debate and generated new ideas on issues of strengthening the organization and its institutions. The motto of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the OSCE in 2010, remains relevant, "Trust, tradition, transparency and tolerance!"