Nazarbayev more than any one deserves Nobel Prize for participating in Syrian settlement - expert
"Considerable peacemaking efforts of Kazakh Foreign Ministry in settlement of the Syrian conflict and finding a peaceful solution to the long-running crisis was welcomed by the international community. Heads of international organizations such as UN and OSCE, as well as leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran appreciated the fact and the results of the talks in Astana in January 2017. The very launch of the Astana peace negotiation process marks a fundamental revival of a vector for political solution of the Syrian civil war and the reached unity of the three states in the fight against international terrorism. No matter how stubborn the Syrian armed opposition acts, after the January Astana it has only two options: either to go for reconciliation and compromise with official Damascus or to be ruthlessly destroyed", said Sultangaliyev.
The expert noted that on February 6 Astana hosted a meeting of a joint ceasefire monitoring operative group of Russia, Turkey and Iran. It was also attended by Jordan - another Middle Eastern country, which expressed its agreement with the principles of peaceful settlement offered in Kazakh capital.
"The tragic events in the Middle East are real headache for the international community. And someone who is able, if not to cut, but to at least weaken this node, will definitely deserve the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. And today, objectively speaking, of all politicians involved in the process, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev appears as a more preferable candidate for the Nobel Prize than his counterparts", said Sultangaliyev.
The political scientist is confident that as a non-permanent member of UNSC, Kazakhstan will also be obliged to act as a peacemaker for a violent conflict in Donbas: "Extreme escalation in the region caused by the escalation of armed confrontation between Kiev and the self-proclaimed republics. It demonstrates the collapse of the Minsk agreements and a need for a new negotiating format, as well as a conceptual review of the approaches and principles of the settlement. Kazakh President has repeatedly, in 2015 and in 2016, publicly stated his willingness to make a significant contribution to peaceful resolution of this conflict. And Astana can become a dialogue platform for all parties involved, directly and indirectly, as it is credible among the leaders of Western countries and Russian Federation. New negotiation process on Ukrainian problem can start in Kazakh capital in spring of 2017".
