For the last decade there has been wide debate on European Union (EU) as a normative power actor in international politics. Visiting scholar Işık Kuşçu contributes to this debate by analyzing the impact of the EU in Kazakhstan in the field of human rights. As one of the former Soviet republics in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has emerged as an actor with a desire to win the recognition of the West as a modern, progressive power in the region. While the EU`s engagement in Central Asia does not have a long history, it considers Kazakhstan an important partner in the region. EU-Kazakhstan relations evolved around different issue areas, the promotion of human rights in Kazakhstan being one of them. This talk will examine EU policy towards Kazakhstan on human rights, as reflected in official documents, discourse used by representatives of civil society organizations, and Kazakhstani media with a focus on the impact of such policies on the country`s human rights record.