Brussels, 26/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Negotiations between the EU and Kazakhstan on a new “enhanced partnership agreement” are likely to begin at the start of 2011, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has revealed. Currently, relations with Kazakhstan are governed by a partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA) negotiated in the 1990s which is no longer sufficient to meet today's challenges, for example, in energy. For this reason, the EU is “committed” to upgrading its contractual relations with Kazakhstan through negotiation of a new agreement, Barroso told press following a meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbyev in Brussels on Tuesday 26 October. The Commission has already put a draft negotiating mandate to member states, “which will probably be adopted by the Council by the end of this year or the start of next,” Barroso said. The new enhanced agreement will contain an extensive chapter on energy, where emphasis will be placed on non-discrimination, transparency and open markets. “The EU and Kazakhstan share the same interests in the diversification of energy routes in an open climate,” Barroso said.
Democracy, human rights. Barroso also said that he had “openly” raised the issue of Kazakhstan's democratic and human rights situation with Nazarbayev. He did not, however, give any indication of how far he went in his criticism. Permanent President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, who also met Nazarbayev on Tuesday, was more forthcoming. “Democracy, the rule of law and respect for human beings are the core values which need to be implemented in practice. I stressed during our meeting that closer and stronger bilateral ties go hand in hand with adherence to these values,” he said. Kazakhstan currently holds the Presidency of the OSCE, the next summit of which is due to take place in Astana on 1-2 December. Barroso and Van Rompuy announced on Tuesday that they would represent the EU at this meeting.
Accession to the WTO. Barroso and Van Rompuy also confirmed that Kazakhstan had the EU's “full support” for its rapid accession to the WTO. “We want to conclude bilateral negotiations on this issue as soon as possible,” Barroso said. (H.B./transl.rt)