ASTANA (TCA) — Expressing a strong belief in the role of inter-parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia, Austrian parliamentarian Christine Muttonen, on May 31 called for greater unity and cooperation across the OSCE area in countering violent extremism.
Speaking at the “Religions against Terrorism” conference in the Kazakh capital, Astana, Muttonen noted that the OSCE PA has become an important platform for supporting inter-religious dialogue, and stressed that promoting understanding and tolerance between religions is an essential component of the overall work of the OSCE.
“Today our co-operation is more important than ever,” she said. “In a time when groups of violent extremists try to misuse religious beliefs to justify their terrorist attacks, when they try to divide our countries and societies along religious lines, when young people hope to find solutions to their social and economic problems within extremism and violence, when competing agendas and hostile rhetoric often threaten to replace productive dialogue and co-operation among our participating States, in such a time it becomes quite obvious: The level of peace, freedom and stability that we have achieved within the OSCE area cannot be taken for granted.”
Muttonen’s participation in the conference was part of a week-long visit to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan she is undertaking along with OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella, which kicked off Monday with a series of high-level talks, the OSCE said. Meetings were held with Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chairman of the Mazhilis of Kazakhstan Baktykozha Izmukhambetov, and Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov.
The visit to Kazakhstan ends on Wednesday in Almaty, where the Special Representative is expected to meet several prominent representatives of the country’s civil society to discuss developments related to freedom of expression and assembly. Muttonen continues her Central Asia trip with a visit to Kyrgyzstan beginning Thursday.
