ASEM foreign ministers welcome holding of EXPO 2017 in Astana

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Luxembourg hosted the 12th meeting of foreign ministers of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) from over 50 Asian and European countries with the participation of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini as well as foreign affairs ministers of Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Hungary, Japan, Indonesia, Mongolia, and South Korea and other countries, the Kazakh MFA's press service reports.

Kazakhstan's delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alexey Volkov. Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri praised ASEM's role as an important international platform for discussion of common stance on modern threats and challenges in his opening remarks. At the meeting participants discussed the problems of global climate change, management of emergencies, counter-terrorism, the Iranian nuclear program, the Syrian crisis and more. While taking the floor at the event Deputy Minister Volkov noted that Kazakhstan can become a bridge linking Asia and Europe thanks to its stable domestic situation and favorable geographical location. The final declaration of the ASEM meeting in Luxembourg welcomed holding of the International specialized exhibition EXPO 2017 in Astana and creation of the Low-Enriched Uranium Bank in Kazakhstan. It is worth mentioning that Deputy Minister Volkov held a number of bilateral meetings on the margins of the ASEM meeting. He handed President Nursultan Nazarbayev's messages on Kazakhstan's bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 to representatives of the foreign ministries of Malta, Estonia and Denmark.