Being OSCE chair –in office Kazakhstan prepares for a finishing shoot up –the final and most important stage in its mission – OSCE Summit. Its agenda is currently under formation.

Kazakhstan took over the watch in the Structure atop the waves of political and economic crisis, tearing the planet. Against their background OSCE could scarcely find a better candidate than Kazakhstan for settlement of internal discrepancies inside the Organization. Generated problems and a separating line between the states-participants East and the West off Vienna were not in favor of a constructive dialogue. All the attempts to find adequate answers led to stiff confrontational discussions. And such important aspect in OSCE activity as summits’ organization is an illustrative example in this context.

Top meetings were regularly held in first years after the USSR collapse: in 1990 it was in Paris, four years later- in Helsinki and Budapest, in 1996 Lisbon hosted honorary guests, but since Istanbul’s summit in 1999 the state leaders have not met all together for 11 years. After all it told on OSCE activity because consensus – the main mechanism for decisions’ adoption did not work. As a consequence since 2003 a political declaration has not been adopted in the Organization. Overbalance in favor of third basket did not support the dialogue either.

OSCE autonomic institutes – ODIHR and the Representative on Freedom of Media strenuously worked at “unification” of European legal values without adaptation to traditions, culture and history of the states which only recently became familiar with democratic principles. And it’s quite understandable that under such circumstances by no means all liked the above principle – “there is never too much democracy”.

Political reforms without a powerful economic support could lead, and led to crises which firstly were cheerfully called “color” revolutions, while later on, after tragic events in Kyrgyzstan, they “renamed” them into “revolution of sweatpants”.

In such conditions when OSCE in fact was divided into two antagonistic camps special hopes were staked on Kazakhstan. Our republic was the first country – OSCE chair-in office which came from the soviet “uniform”. And it was a sign confirming OSCE –participants’ intention to resume a more effective and transparent dialogue.

However that may be, we’ve met the challenge. Consensus on OSCE Summit in Astana is to be regarded as a breakthrough in history able, as expected to give a second “breath” to the Structure.

Now the work in this direction is hamming: apart from organizational issues the agenda is under formation. Particularly they plan to discuss enhancement of OSCE institutional base, restoration of CFET regime (Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe), strengthening of OSCE potential and instruments for conflicts’ early prevention and settlement and post –conflict rehabilitation.

Separately the situation in Afghanistan and its problems will be considered, apart from such topics as withstand transnational challenges in OSCE three dimensions – drug trafficking, organized and cybercrime, human trade and international terrorism. In economic aspect they offer to adapt Maastricht strategy to OSCE modern circumstances.

As for the third basket Kazakhstan indents to tackle such issues as countering challenges in human dimension, tolerance and non-discrimination, freedom of media and many others.

Vladimir Kuriatov