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Speech given by the British Ambassador to Kazakhstan recently (8 April 2016). This is an English transcript of the speech, delivered in three languages: Kazakh, Russian and English.

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here today, for the start of the EU project “Enhancing Criminal Justice in Kazakhstan”. Firstly, this is an important issue for Kazakhstan. Justice underpins everything. Without justice, all other reforms will struggle.

And secondly, this project is an example of the closer cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan. That follows the agreement, last December, between the EU and Kazakhstan to deepen their relationship further.

Now, one of the best features of this EU project is that implementation is taking place through a consortium of organizations led by the British NGO Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas (NICO). So a warm thank you to NICO and to your other project partners - the Dutch Probation Service and the Polish National School of Judiciary and Public Prosecution.

This project covers a wide range of criminal justice issues. Implementation of new legislation, establishing a full probation system, and delivering training are some of the activities through which Kazakhstan will benefit from this project.

On behalf of the British Government, I wish you every success in this project.