ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Government authorities and other leaders in Kazakhstan participated in a workshop Monday on countering corruption in the country.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe conducted the workshop in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The OSCE says the workshop was designed to strengthen cooperation between the government and civil society on countering corruption and ensuring stability of the country, the OSCE reported.
Officials say more than 40 participants from the Kazakh government and non-government organizations, among other leaders, discussed anti-corruption measures and potential legislative reforms to combat corruption in Kazakhstan and in Central Asia, an area threatened by transnational criminal groups trafficking illicit goods through the region.
"Civil society and education have a key role to play in building effective anti-corruption practices," Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the head of the OSCE Center in Astana, said in a statement.
"It is therefore important to set up mechanisms to this end, so as to promote a strong anti-corruption culture in the society."
