Kazakh Ambassador met with Special Representative of NATO Secretary General

BRUSSELS. April 8. KAZINFORM /Yerzhan Ospanov/ Kazakh Ambassador to Belgium Yerik Utembayev met with NATO Secretary General?s Special Representative for Central Asia and Caucasus Robert Simmons last week in the NATO headquarters, Kazinform refers to the Kazakh Embassy in Brussels.

Extention of constructive partnership with the NATO is one of the key directions of Kazakhstan?s activity on provision of the regional security. The Security Forum of the North Atlantic Partnership ? informal ministerial meeting ? will be held in Astana on June 24-25, 2009. Topical issues of security, including the Afghanistan problem and energy security are planned to be discussed. Special attention will be paid to the extension of practical cooperation in Central Asia. As the Kazakh Ambassador noted, addressing security issues will ensure the upcoming leadership of Kazakhstan in the OSCE in 2010. R.Simmons said that NATO, considering Kazakhstan as a key factor of the stability in the region, is ready to work closely with the Kazakh representation and looks forward to strengthening cooperation between the OSCE and the Alliance. Another important event will be the visit of the NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Kazakhstan. Negotiations with the Kazakh Leadership are scheduled within the visit. The sides expressed confidence that the upcoming visit will give new impetus to cooperation.