Sofia Supports the Constitutional Reforms in Kazakhstan

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Rwanda Barlybay Sadykov presented his Letters of Credence to President Paul Kagame, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

During the formal credential presentation ceremony, the Kazakhstani Ambassador stated that Astana attaches particular importance to strengthening relations between the two countries, including intensifying political dialogue and cooperation in trade, economic, investment, and humanitarian spheres.

Special attention during the conversation was given to the outcomes of the landmark official visit of Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Kazakhstan on 27-29 May 2025. The Ambassador noted that the agreements reached during that visit have laid a solid foundation for elevating bilateral partnership to a qualitatively new level.

In turn, Paul Kagame stated that Kazakhstan is an important and perspective partner for Rwanda, expressing readiness to further deepen cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, including digitization, the mining industry, agriculture, and others. He warmly recalled his negotiations with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana and reaffirmed his commitment to implementing joint projects.

The President of Rwanda congratulated the Kazakh diplomat on his official assumption of his duties and wished him success in further strengthening relations between Kazakhstan and Rwanda. The Head of the Rwanda expressed his gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan K.Tokayev for his commitment to the implementation of the agreements reached during his visit to Kazakhstan, and conveyed warm wishes to the leadership and people of Kazakhstan.

 

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan condemned the missile strikes and drone attacks launched from Iranian territory against the United Arab Emirates, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Akorda.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said he considers such actions unacceptable, as they lead to a dangerous escalation of the armed conflict in the Middle East.

According to him, the use of diplomatic means is the only correct method for resolving all disputed international issues.

 

Experts gathered in Ankara to discuss the constitutional reform in Kazakhstan. The meeting, held in the "Davos" format, was attended by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Türkiye, Yerkebulan Sapiyev; Professor Esma Özdaşlı, Director of the Gaspıralı Institute of Foreign Policy; Professor Hayri Keser from Akdeniz University; Betülay Himoğlu, lawyer and Deputy Director of the Turkish Institute of Law; Professor Ruhi Ersoy, Director of the Ahmet Cevad Turkic World Research Institute; and Professors Cemile Kınacı Baran, Levent Ersin Orallı, and Kadir Ertaç Çelik from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

Professor R. Ersoy noted that comprehensive reforms began in Kazakhstan following the election of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as President, emphasizing that the current constitutional reform is a direct result of those efforts.

Constitutional law expert Professor H. Kesher touched upon the history of the concept of a constitution and provided insights into reforms in various countries. In this regard, he highlighted the "innovation" brought by the draft of Kazakhstan's new Constitution, particularly its preamble, which focuses on the values of statehood, harmony, culture, education, science and innovation.

Himoglu observed that the Constitution has been renewed by 84%, with strengthened articles concerning human rights and family values.

L.E. Oral expressed that the constitutional enshrinement of national values -language, culture, and family issues - signals Kazakhstan's entry into a new era.

C.K. Baran, K.E. Çelik, and E. Özdaşlı drew attention to the deep historical respect of the Kazakh people for their fundamental law, as seen in legal codes like "Zheti Zhargy." They also stated that the special attention paid by the Kazakh authorities to the environment and human rights in the new draft is evidence of a high level of democracy in the country.

Overall, the experts highly praised the draft of the new Constitution, calling Kazakhstan's move to adopt a new fundamental law in the current challenging times a very bold step.

 

The Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Frankfurt am Main held a roundtable discussion on the draft of the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the context of the upcoming national referendum, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

The event brought together representatives of the Kazakh diaspora, members of public organizations, students, as well as citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan residing in the federal states within the consular district of the Consulate General.

During the meeting, participants were presented with information on the key directions of the constitutional reforms aimed at further developing the country’s political system, strengthening the rule of law, improving mechanisms for the protection of human and civil rights and freedoms, and expanding citizen participation in public governance.

An open discussion was held during which participants exchanged views on certain provisions of the draft Constitution. The participants of the roundtable emphasized the importance of the ongoing reforms and highlighted the significance of the upcoming referendum as an important mechanism of direct expression of the people’s will.

At the end of the event, participants noted the importance of such dialogue platforms in strengthening ties with compatriots abroad and fostering open public discussion on key issues related to the development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium Roman Vassilenko held a meeting with the Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Matthias Diependaele. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Region of Flanders, with particular attention to trade, industry, logistics, innovation, and scientific cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

Ambassador Vassilenko noted that Kazakhstan considers Flanders one of the most dynamic and industrially developed regions in Belgium, with a strong industrial base, advanced logistics infrastructure, and a powerful innovation ecosystem. In this regard, Kazakhstan is interested in developing long-term, project-oriented partnerships with leading European regions.

Special attention was paid to transport and logistics cooperation. The Ambassador emphasized the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) connecting Central Asia and Europe. The importance of cooperation with major European logistics hubs was also highlighted, including the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of the world’s largest port and petrochemical clusters.

The parties also discussed prospects for cooperation in the chemical and petrochemical industries, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, as well as in the agro-industrial and food sectors. Particular attention was also paid to innovation, artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and scientific and educational cooperation, including strengthening contacts between universities, research centers, and innovation clusters of Kazakhstan and Flanders.

Ambassador also briefed his counterpart on the large-scale political and socio-economic reforms underway in Kazakhstan. He noted that a draft of the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been prepared and that the final decision will be taken by citizens at a nationwide referendum on March 15. The draft Constitution aims to improve public governance, strengthen the rule of law, and expand citizens’ participation in public and political life.

Minister-President Diependaele highlighted the strong potential for cooperation between Flemish companies, research institutions, and Kazakh partners, and expressed interest in developing economic and technological ties with Kazakhstan.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening cooperation and agreed to continue dialogue aimed at implementing joint initiatives and projects.

 

Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Portugal, Jean Galiev, was received by the Vice-President of the Assembly of the Republic, head of the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Edith Estrela, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

The interlocutors held a detailed exchange of views on a wide range of issues on the bilateral and multilateral agenda, paying particular attention to strengthening interparliamentary dialogue and institutional partnership.

Ambassador stressed that Astana and Lisbon are making efforts to intensify exchanges and seek new opportunities, guided by pragmatism and national interests. The sides recognized the priority task of establishing direct air links between the countries, which should become a key driver for business, tourism, cultural and academic exchanges.

Given the role of E. Estrela as an authoritative politician with extensive experience in parliamentary activities, in particular as co-rapporteur on a number of key areas and head of the delegation to PACE, the importance of Kazakhstan's interaction with European institutions was noted.

J. Galiev briefed his counterpart in detail on the progress of constitutional reforms in Kazakhstan. E. Estrela, who is also a member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, showed particular interest in the processes of political transformation, democratization, and strengthening of the legal foundations of the state taking place in Kazakhstan with the active participation of the country's people.

Аmbassador noted that the consistent reforms, which meet the requirements of the times, are the practical implementation of the strategic course of the President of the Republic Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, "Fair Kazakhstan" and his concept of political governance, "The Listening State".

Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their readiness to further intensify bilateral contacts at the level of parliamentary friendship groups and relevant committees, as well as within regional and international organizations.

 

A meeting was held between the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Spain, Danat Mussayev, and members of the Spanish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

The meeting was attended by the Vice-President of the Assembly, Antonio Gutiérrez Limones, the newly appointed Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Senate, Pilar Rojo, as well as representatives of various Spanish political parties, enabling a substantive and comprehensive exchange of views on interparliamentary cooperation.

During the discussions, the parties addressed the current state and prospects of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe, as well as the development of interparliamentary dialogue between Kazakhstan and Spain.

Particular attention was paid to the constitutional reform in Kazakhstan, which represents a continuation of the large-scale political transformations initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Ambassador Mussayev informed the participants that a nationwide referendum on the adoption of a new Constitution will be held on 15 March. He noted that the scope and significance of the proposed changes, as well as the openness of the public discussion process of the draft Constitution, are unprecedented in the country’s history.

He emphasized that the constitutional reform is aimed at ensuring the country’s sustainable development, strengthening the role of Parliament, and enhancing guarantees for the protection of human rights, thereby consolidating the principle that "the State exists for the person, not the person for the State."

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening interparliamentary dialogue and enhancing cooperation within the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

 

A meeting took place at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) between the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the WTO and other international economic organizations, Kairat Torebayev, and the Director General of WIPO, Daren Tang, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

During the meeting, the parties discussed key areas of cooperation between Kazakhstan and WIPO in the development of the intellectual property system and the innovation ecosystem. The Kazakh side expressed appreciation for the successful needs-assessment mission of the WIPO Academy on intellectual property capacity building, which took place in Astana and Almaty on 23-26 February 2026. It was noted that the mission represented an important step towards establishing a national intellectual property training center based at Kazpatent and its branch, the National Institute of Intellectual Property in Almaty, with the support of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Ambassador Torebayev also thanked WIPO for its expert support in the development of Kazakhstan’s National Innovation Development Strategy, which includes a significant intellectual property component.

In this context, it was noted that a seminar under the IMPACT program aimed at strengthening capacity in intellectual property management will be held in Kazakhstan on 16-17 March.

Participants also highlighted the development of educational cooperation in the field of intellectual property, including the implementation of a joint Master of Laws program in Intellectual Property and Business Law carried out by WIPO in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Maqsut Narikbayev University. The program represents the first WIPO initiative of this kind in the Eurasian region. The first cohort comprised 18 students from Kazakhstan, India, Tanzania and Uzbekistan.

The Kazakh side also presented two projects submitted under the WIPO IP Acceleration Fund aimed at introducing artificial intelligence technologies in the examination of industrial property objects and creating a digital monitoring system for the use of audio and audiovisual works.

In addition, the parties discussed a joint WIPO initiative to support startups in the field of artificial intelligence. Preparatory work for launching the pilot project has already been completed, and the timeline for its official launch is currently being finalized. The project envisages training and acceleration programs for startups with the participation of WIPO experts.

The parties also discussed opportunities to expand the participation of representatives of Kazakhstan’s business community and SMEs in the educational programs of the WIPO Academy and emphasized the importance of greater engagement of the private sector in training courses and professional development programs in the field of intellectual property.

Special attention was also given to preparations for Kazakhstan’s national exhibition within the framework of the upcoming WIPO General Assemblies, where the country plans to showcase its achievements in innovation and creative industries.

The parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening cooperation and Kazakhstan’s active participation in the work of WIPO bodies.