The meeting was particularly important as Kazakhstan is preparing for its presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. In talks with his Slovenian counterpart, the Kazakh Foreign Minister, Mr Marat Tazhin, thus particularly focused on Dr Rupel’s experience of presiding the OSCE. In general, the President of the EU Council emphasised his wish for on-going dialogue between the European Union and Kazakhstan in the area of human rights. He also expressed the hope that Kazakhstan would adopt the political reforms announced by the President of the Republic last year.

The meeting continues with a plenary session attended by representatives of all five participating countries, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, along with the President of the EU Council for General Affairs and External Relations, Dr Rupel, the representatives of the European Commission and the EU Council Secretariat, and the French Foreign Minister, Mr Kouchner, who will be the next Council President. The meeting will focus primarily on regional cooperation, with special emphasis on the issues of human rights, energy, water resources and protection of the environment.