FM Kairat Abdrakhmanov meets UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenča
The Minister stressed that the package of constitutional and modernization reforms corresponds to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in terms of developing effective state institutions and demonstrates Kazakhstan’s commitment to consolidation of independence, building a politically stable and economically sustainable, tolerant, multi-ethnic and multi-faith society. Amendments to the Basic Law of the country build up solid bases for the future of our country and serve as a guarantee for further progressive development of Kazakhstan and continuation of a peaceful and constructive foreign policy course determined by the Head of State.
The UN high representative voiced support for Astana course on modernization and noted that changes in the Constitution have become a progress indicator of the country achieved in the political and economic fields. Jenča highly appreciated the role of Kazakhstan as an effective mediator in peaceful settlement of crisis situations in the region and in the world, highlighting in particular the contribution to the organization of several rounds of Astana talks on Syria. Such an approach, in his opinion, coincides with the ideas of the new UN Secretary General on the priority importance of preventive diplomacy in settling various crises of the modern world.
The Kazakh side noted a significant intensification of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in Central Asia, which countries demonstrate a constructive approach to solving many topical issues and practically have no insurmountable problems. There is confidence that the potential of regional cooperation will be fully activated during Kazakhstan’s membership in the Security Council. In particular, it was about paying the visit of the UNSC members delegations to Afghanistan and the region, holding a number of regional security conferences to develop a coordinated position of the stakeholder countries.
The negotiators underlined that, in fact, the issues of regional security in Central Asia and Afghanistan are an important aspect of the UN agenda, taking into account the desire to turn this region into a “zone of peace, security and cooperation.” In this regard, the sides expressed readiness for joint work on eventful program of the chairmanship of our country in the UNSC in January 2018, including the organization of high-level debates on global and regional security.
Abdrakhmanov supported the reform of the UN on counter-terrorism architecture, the creation of the UN Counter-terrorism Office under the leadership of the UN Under-Secretary-General, who will be the Coordinator of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Secretary-General’s Senior Adviser on Counter-Terrorism. The UN is invited to Astana in late August to attend a major international conference of the Pugwash movement of scientists dedicated to the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, as well as the opening ceremony of the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank.
The Minister reminded the invitation of the UN Secretary General to take part in the EXPO-2017 International Exhibition, the SCO summit, and also focused his interlocutor on the regional hub creation work in Almaty that would unite under the same roof international agencies, funds and UN programs presented in our country. One of the main directions of such a hub could be humanitarian operations and emergency response in the region, appropriate transport and logistics operations, assistance in disaster risk reduction. Along with this, in the current difficult conditions of transnational challenges and threats, the task of strengthening the political presence of the UN in the vast space of Central Asia and Eurasia becomes urgentas a whole.
The negotiations were held in a traditional friendly atmosphere and showed the desire of Kazakhstan and the UN to achieve practical outcomes not only bilaterally, but also to strengthen regional cooperation for the sake of peace, stability and security. The Head of the UN Center for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia Petko Draganov took part in the meeting.