U.S. to work with Kazakh President Tokayev to advance common objectives - Dept. of State

WASHINGTON. Nov 22 (Interfax) - Washington is hoping to continue working with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the advancement of common objectives, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Following the November 20 presidential elections, we look forward to working with President Tokayev and his government to advance our common objectives," Department spokesman Ned Price said.

He said the United States supported the reforms and goals proposed by Tokayev, "including growing the private sector, de-monopolizing the economy, and combating corruption, while strengthening [...] the rule of law, and human rights protections."

"We call on the government to fully implement these reforms for the benefit of all the people of Kazakhstan," the statement said.

It noted, however, that the United States agreed with the preliminary conclusions drawn by the election observation mission from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), which "found that, although the election day was calm and voting procedures largely followed, the election took place in the absence of meaningful political competition and continued limits on the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly."

The United States called on the Kazakh government to fully implement ODIHR's recommendations for future elections, including upcoming parliamentary elections in 2023.

The early presidential election in Kazakhstan took place on November 20. Incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won by over 81% of the vote.