http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/01/0537082d-18e0-4c2c-9749-3d740c54d1e2.html
Germany Extends Cautious Backing To Kazakh OSCE Bid January 30, 2007 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed support for Kazakhstan's desire to assume the rotating chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2009. Speaking at the end of a visit to Berlin by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, Merkel emphasized that such backing was conditional on continued political reforms in the country. Merkel said that Germany, the current holder of the rotating EU Presidency, could be a motor for deeper integration of Central Asia with the EU. "Central Asia is a focal point of the German presidency of the European Union, and we support the European Union in that we are developing more intensive relations in that region, especially with Kazakhstan," Merkel said. Nazarbaev reportedly welcomed Merkel's initiative and said that Kazakhstan has a right to OSCE chairmanship. He said that his country had a free press and would be holding "open-ended" elections. Western observers have not recognized any of the handful of elections in Kazakhstan since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 as free and fair. In 2006, OSCE foreign ministers postponed consideration of Kazakhstan's election to the chairmanship. The United States and others said Kazakhstan needed to take more steps toward democracy. Human Rights organizations frequently criticize Kazakhstan's government for failing to allow for independent media and for alleged human rights violations. Nazarbaev has maintained a tight grip on virtually all state institutions since he ascended to power in 1989, and has consolidated his power through a disputed referendum and three presidential elections in 1991, 1999, and 2005. EU Involvement Merkel today pushed her proposals for more EU involvement in Central Asia in conjunction with her meeting with Nazarbaev. Germany is the current holder of the presidency of the European Union, which is seeking to diversify its energy suppliers. Merkel said that Germany can be a motor for deeper integration of Central Asia with the EU. "Central Asia is a focal point of the German presidency of the European Union, and we support the European Union in that we are developing more intensive relations in that region, especially with Kazakhstan," Merkel said. Nazarbaev reportedly welcomed Merkel's initiative toward Central Asia, but the two did not mention any specific energy project. +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
