Tokayev meets with UN Secretary General's Special Representative

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Chairman of the Kazakh Senate Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has received Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) Natalia Gherman, Kazinform reports with reference to the Senate's press service.

Having congratulated the guest on her key position appointment, the Senate Speaker highlighted that the Center was established upon the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and the UNRCCA Headquarters was based in the capital of neutral Turkmenistan that did much for the success of the international organization.

The sides discussed the general opinion on the growing importance of preventive diplomacy as an efficient instrument for preventing conflicts and wars that entail numerous casualties and material losses. Mr. Tokayev said that Kazakhstan supports the UN Secretary-General's efforts in this respect.

Tokayev and Gherman touched upon the prospects for the joint activities in resolving the issues that are pressing for the entire Central Asia, in particular, water issues and assistance to Afghanistan.

Speaker Tokayev emphasized that Kazakhstan supports the UN Regional Centre's Agenda and efforts to implement the UNRCCA Programme of Action for 2018-2020. The Head of the Senate noted that ensuring regional security and stability, and developing economic cooperation in Central Asia are the top priorities in Kazakhstan's work within the UN Security Council.

A high-level debate devoted to finding the ways for resolving the situation in Afghanistan will be held within the framework of the Kazakhstan's presidency over the UN Security Council in January 2018. Tokayev said that the Head of State, President Nursultan Nazarbayev, will open the ceremony of Kazakhstan's accession to the UN Security Council presidency.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also underlined the importance of Astana as an authoritative international center that hosts meetings and negotiations that affect global security as evidenced by the productivity of the inter-Syrian talks.

Special Representative Gherman expressed her gratitude to Kazakhstan for the weighty contribution to the support of UNRCCA's activities in the region and highly appreciated Astana's international initiatives aimed at strengthening the regional and global cooperation.