Kazakhstan on Friday became the first former Soviet republic to hold the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), even as sceptics questioned its fitness to head a group dedicated to democracy and human rights, according to dpa. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, upon taking over the OSCE reins from Greece, spoke of an "historic mission" during a speech in the Kazakh capital of Astana. He also said being granted the position indicated international recognition for Kazakhstan"s position in the world. But groups like Human Rights Watch immediately faulted the country for its commitment to OSCE principles, specifically due to the continuing imprisonment of government critic Yevgeni Shovtis. Shovtis received a four-year jail sentence in September after a traffic accident that left one dead. The OSCE criticized the proceedings for lack of transparency and for what it called an excessive sentence. Kazakhstan has routinely ignored such criticisms, as well as concerns raised about its human rights policies, internet censorship and pressure on opposition media. But Western countries have routinely reached out to Kazakhstan because of its proximity to Afghanistan, since its abundance in natural resources makes some think it can serve as a stabilizing force in the region. Those resources have also made it an attractive trading partner to many. Kazakhstan has promised to make some changes, specifically to its policy of one-party rule, but has so far not budged. Kazakhstan wants to devote its year-long chairmanship in 2010 to pressing for a European security treaty, Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev said in Astana, according to the Interfax news agency. Saudabayev said Kazakhstan would also focus on ecological problems, including the drying out of the Aral Sea along the border with Uzbekistan. It also hopes to host the first OSCE summit since 1999. According to a diplomat from the OSCE, the globally respected organization with 56 member states was split over the awarding of the chairmanship to Astana because of the authoritarian policies of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. "However, one must not forget that at the time of its founding in 1975, the OSCE was all but an association of flawless democracies," the diplomat told the German Press Agency in Moscow.
