President Tokayev pays special attention to social sphere - MEP

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NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – Member of the European Parliament Ryszard Czarnecki shares his thoughts on the year of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s presidency with Kazinform correspondent.

«As the Chair of the EU-Kazakhstan Friendship Group in the European Parliament I have been following with great interest the important developments in the beautiful country of Kazakhstan. Between my first visit to the country in 1993 and today -27 years ago- great progress has been achieved in the country. In the country, underlining the strength of the progressive forces in Kazakhs society,» he notes.

«June 12, 2019 marks the date when Kassym-Jomart Tokayev became the President of Kazakhstan. His declared main priorities were to ensure the unity of society, protect the rights of citizens and defend the national interests of Kazakhstan.

Although in his election program, the President of Kazakhstan did not indicate a timeline for the fulfillment of his promises, last year has been filled with events and concrete decisions, which have found support among the population of the country,» the European parliamentarian stresses.

According to Czrnecki, Kassym -Jomart Tokayev has been paying special attention to the social sphere. Payments and benefits have been increased, the most vulnerable citizens have received support, and people who were left homeless due to man-made disasters and those who lost their incomes due to the coronavirus pandemic have not been forgotten. Considerable sums have been allocated to all of these groups.

«In Europe, the prevailing opinion is that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in fact, is building a social welfare state, where special attention is paid to reducing inequality, improving the quality of life of every Kazakh, and where priority is given to solving the day-to-day problems of the people.

One of the key initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan, which was closely followed in the European Union, was the creation of the National Council of Public Trust, which discusses the most pressing issues on the domestic agenda,» he adds.

«As a result of the work of this advisory body, the most important pieces of legislation in the history of modern Kazakhstan law have been developed, namely the new law on political parties and the law on peaceful assemblies,» the MEP says.

President Tokayev, in his words, has faced serious challenges in his post. One of them is the coronavirus pandemic, which took all countries across the world by surprise. But due to brilliant leadership, an uncontrolled explosion of Covid-19 was avoided.

«The President himself told the people of Kazakhstan about the struggle against coronavirus and other vital issues in his messages through social media and video addresses - an unprecedented level of transparency in the region. Much has been decided at the level of the Head of State. Even the approaches pursued in public health care had to be personally reviewed by the President,» he points out.

According to the MEP, his last visit to Kazakhstan was two years ago and as a Member of the European Parliament from Poland he takes great pride in the longstanding relations of Poland with Kazakhstan. Throughout the history of the Soviet Union many Polish citizens lived in Kazakhstan have fond memories of the people and the culture.

«In the field of foreign policy, Kazakhstan, as has been the case before, pays special attention to its partnership with the European Union. On 1 March 2020, the European Union-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement came into force. On the basis of this document, we expect that the parties will be able to fully reap the benefits of their partnership.

As the Chair of the EU-Kazakhstan Friendship group I will do my utmost to further our relations to our mutual benefit,» he says in conclusion.


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