The address of the representative of Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Talgat Unaibayev during Minsk Conference “Chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in OSCE: prospects, problems and challenges”. READ MORE

As a result of recent coming into effect of the Lisbon Treaty on reform of the European Union the latter entered a new phase of its development. Though its institutions were never designed for foreign policy or military affairs, it is moving slowly toward defining a military role for itself in the world. In particular, after creating the post of the EU “foreign secretary” once again question arose, whether someday a post of common European “secretary of defense” will appear. READ MORE

On January 1, 2010 the presidency in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will be passed in rotation to Kazakhstan. In this connection during an annual Eurasian media forum, which took place in Moscow recently, there was an opinion expressed that in the close future the emphasis in OSCE activities will shift – instead of the human rights issues the priority will be given to the security issues. It is noticing that though Kazakhstan’s leader Nazarbayev is known for his authoritative methods, his country can’t impose its policy or vision of problems on other OSCE countries, even when Russia and Belarus support Kazakhstan as their Customs Union partner. READ MORE

It is a fact long lamented by those two endangered species, British Germanophiles and German Anglophiles: apart from a few pockets of intense co-operation, such as in justice and home affairs, the potential of a German-British partnership has seldom been exploited in European policy. The political impetus to be generated by the German and UK heads of government moving together in elegant tandem has not been realised. READ MORE

While oil exploration company RWE Dea often drills in the sands of Libya or under the waters of the Caspian Sea, a new project has the company looking for the black gold in a pine forest in Northern Germany. READ MORE

Can a deal struck with the EU help the plight of Turkmen – or are we only interested in their country's gas? READ MORE

Leaders of the three Baltic States, President Dalia Grybauskaitė of Lithuania, President Valdis Zatlers of Latvia, and President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia, met in Vilnius today and agreed that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia would stand united in their aspiration towards energy independence and would seek European funding for regional energy projects. READ MORE

The dynamics of international life of the passing year comprised a sound list of significant events, which are able to give a start for new large-scale transformations as many commentators think. They include – the launch of the “Eastern Partnership” program. This project has called different reactions among the states participating within “Eastern Partnership” as well as in neighboring capitals. The reaction was mainly emotional and unpredictable. It’s perfectly known that for example Warsaw gives a strategic meaning to this project. Moscow also sees a long-term effect, strategy but the aim of this strategy is observed in a different way. READ MORE

With the turn of a ceremonial valve, China’s president, Hu Jintao, opened a big natural gas pipeline from central Asia to China on Monday, significantly increasing China’s access to the fuel and providing the first major alternative to exporting the region’s gas through Russia. READ MORE

The conference entitled "OSCE: Challenges of Regional Security" that was held  in Almaty was organized within the project which KazNU and KISI under the President have been carrying through for two years.  The forum participants have discussed various issues related to the OSCE activity and Kazakhstan's presidency at the Organization. Deputy Chair of the OSCE Center in Astana Jannet Kletzer told about this in an interview to Kazinform. READ MORE