The delegation of the Uzbek CEC led by CEC Chairperson, Z. Nizamkhodjaev, will take part in the international observation of the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, which will take place on October 6 this year.

A briefing was held at the Central Referendum Commission of Kazakhstan on October 5 to mark the start of the International Referendum Observation Program.

The Chairperson of the CRC, N. Abdirov, welcomed the participants of the event and thanked the international organizations and election management bodies of foreign countries for their support and sending their representatives to participate in the Program.

The head of the CRC pointed out that this is the fourth referendum in the history of Kazakhstan as an independent and sovereign state. The issue of building a nuclear power plant will be decided by a national referendum, as this is an important step towards the sustainable development of the country.

He said that 177 observers representing 30 foreign countries and 4 international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, are participating in the observation of the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.

N. Abdirov also pointed out that at the invitation of the CRC, representatives of the central election management bodies of 14 foreign states, including the Chairpersons of the central election management bodies of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, took part in the observation of the referendum. He especially thanked the representatives of the election management bodies of foreign states for their participation in the Program and emphasized that their professional opinion was of particular importance. The participants of the briefing were acquainted with the preparations for the referendum, the main stages of the campaign and the voting process on October 6.

In his welcoming speech on behalf of the election management bodies of foreign states, the Chairperson of the CEC, Z. Nizamkhodjaev, emphasized the importance of this political event for Kazakhstan and praised the preparatory work for the referendum in such a short time.

The Chairperson of the election management bodies of both countries met on the same day. Mr. N. Abdirov thanked the Uzbek side for sending a representative delegation and participating in the international observation of the national referendum. He spoke positively about the process of transforming the political institutions of Uzbekistan, updating the country's legislation in accordance with the results of the constitutional referendum, after which the 2023 presidential elections were held and preparations for the parliamentary elections are underway. Mr. Nizamkhodjaev informed his colleague about the reforms of national electoral legislation and practice carried out in 2023, as well as preparations for the upcoming elections to the representative bodies of state power of Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, issues related to the development of bilateral cooperation between the election management bodies of the two countries were discussed. N. Abdirov emphasized that the election management bodies of the two countries cooperate professionally and that there are areas of common interest to which special attention should be paid. G. Rakhimova, member of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan, and S. Abdurazakov, deputy of the Department of Organizational Control and Planning of the Secretariat of the Central Election Commission, took part in the events on the occasion of the start of the international observation of the national referendum.