Astana hosts International Parliamentary Conference

By Aliia Raimbekova

ASTANA (AA) - The International Parliamentary Conference took place on Monday in the Kazakh capital Astana.

The one-day conference, with the theme “Astana - a Center of Global Integration, Security and Peace," brought together parliamentarians, government officials, and experts from Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

Conference chair Nurlan Nigmatulin, the Kazakh parliament speaker, said Kazakhstan is becoming more and more attractive for investors, adding that the country drew over $300 billion in investment over the last 20 years.

"Kazakhstan is among the countries of the modern world with a dynamic economy," he said.

Nigmatulin also stressed that over the past quarter-century Kazakhstan became a "center of global integration, security and peace."

Kayrat Abdrahmanov, the Kazakh foreign minister, said that Kazakhstan would like to develop and expand the activities of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (Turkic Council).

"We make every effort to develop the international relations of the Turkic Council," Abdrahmanov said.

Speaking to reporters at the meeting, Mustafa Sentop, deputy speaker of the Turkish parliament, stressed the "friendly and brotherly" relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan, adding that participants at the conference discussed "future perspectives and priorities."

Mehmet Ali Cevheri, the head of the Turkish parliament’s Turkey-Kazakhstan Friendship Group, said that they are striving to further develop relations between the parliaments.

"Close cooperation is crucial to the development of both countries, and democracy in particular, because parliaments are the heart of those countries," he added.

The Turkic Council was established in 2009 as an international intergovernmental organization, with the overarching aim of promoting comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking states.