By Xinhua,
Almaty : The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began its 17th annual parliamentary meeting Sunday in the Kazakh capital Astana, reports reaching here said.
Goran Lennmarker, president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, appealed to host country Kazakhstan to help promote democracy in neighboring Afghanistan.
In his speech, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed his hope that his country would be able to expand mutually beneficial economic cooperation with the rest of the world.
He said Kazakhstan is rich in energy resources and as the world’s leading grain producers. If it had access to large-scale investment and advanced technologies, the country could help bring down the soaring prices of oil and food in the world market.
Kazakhstan joined the OSCE in 1992 and will take over the rotating chairmanship of the group in 2010.