Strasbourg, April 22-23, 2026 – Senator Evgeniy Bolgert took part in the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

During the visit, Mr. Bolgert held talks with PACE President Petra Bayr (Austria).

In addition, the Kazakhstan parliamentarian held bilateral meetings with the leaders of all PACE political groups – Mr. Zsolt Németh “European Conservatives, Patriots and Allies”, Mr. Pablo Hispán “European People’s Party”, Ms. Laura Castel “United European Left”, Mr. Iulian Bulai “Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe”, Frank Schwabe “Socialists, Democrats and Greens”.

Mr. Bolgert informed his colleagues about the progress of democratic processes in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the modernization of the political system.

Special attention was paid to constitutional reform. European parliamentarians were thoroughly informed about the results of the nationwide referendum held on March 15, 2026, and the key conceptual innovations of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution.

During the meeting with Ms. Bayr, a wide range of issues related to current cooperation between Kazakhstan and PACE was discussed.

In turn, the heads of PACE political groups noted the relevance of the reforms being carried out in Kazakhstan and emphasized the importance of achieving tangible improvements and results. At the same time, it was highlighted that democratization is a long-term process. European MPs stressed the need to develop a strong Parliament that represents the interests of the entire population.

The President and political group leaders of the Assembly showed particular interest in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan.

On the sidelines of the plenary session, Mr. Bolgert met with PACE member Constantinos Efstathiou (Cyprus). The parliamentarians discussed the current human rights agenda within the framework of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Assembly. The European MP was presented with an objective overview of the modernization of the country’s human rights landscape and the strengthening of the human rights dimension of its domestic political system. In turn, Mr. Efstathiou noted the “high culture of tolerance” in Kazakhstan.

In addition, Mr. Bolgert spoke at a round table titled “Constitutional and Parliamentary Reforms – A New Stage of Political Transformation in Kazakhstan,” attended by PACE members, representatives of Council of Europe institutions, international experts, and the diplomatic corps.

Among the speakers were Mr. Zsolt Németh, Ms. Birutė Vėsaitė Deputy Chair of the «Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group», Ms. Natalie Sabanadze Director for Political Affairs and External Relations of the Council of Europe and Mr. Emmanuel Dupuy President of the Institute for Prospective and Security in Europe.

International observers who participated in the recent republican referendum in Kazakhstan – Mr. Alberto Turkstra Project Director «Diplomatic World», and Mr. Islam Tekushev representative of the media platform «Free Eurasia Foundation» shared their assessments of the voting process and the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-strasbourg/press/news/details/1207846?lang=kk