Kazakhstan reaffirms commitment to support Afghanistan's peaceful development

On May 21, the Kazakhstan delegation led by the Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov took part in NATO meeting on Afghanistan held within the Organisation's Summit in Chicago.

Addressing the attendees of the meeting, which included heads of state and government of Afghanistan and nations contributing to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Minister Kazykhanov once again confirmed Kazakhstan's commitment to global partnership in assisting Afghanistan.

The meeting chaired by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had three main topics on agenda: completion of military operations in Afghanistan, the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan national forces, and defining a new role of the international community in stabilising the situation in the country, the Kazakh MFA's press service said.

In his welcome speech, the U.S. President Barack Obama stressed the importance of the international community's efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and promote its social and economic development. He welcomed the official delegations of Central Asian states, thanking them for their contribution to international efforts in Afghanistan.

Addressing the meeting, Minister Kazykhanov highlighted the importance of developing regional trade and economic cooperation with the participation of Afghanistan. Kazakhstan is ready to continue to promote Afghanistan's economic and humanitarian rehabilitation and supply it with grain, for example, through international organizations such as Food and Agriculture

Organisation and the World Food Programme, according to the Minister.

Kazykhanov also called on the Summit participants to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking from Afghanistan since "successful counter-terrorism is impossible without solving this problem." In this regard, he highlighted the work of the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center (CARICC) created in Almaty with the assistance of the United Nations.

After the meeting, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed his special gratitude for the assistance the Alliance received from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. "I would also like to note the steps taken by Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to ensure cargo transit for ISAF," Rasmussen said.

The U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta also held a meeting with Central Asian Foreign Ministers, during which issues of regional security and cooperation were discussed. Panetta praised the contribution of Central Asian countries to stabilising the situation in Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan plays an important role in the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan, the meeting attendees noted. The country supplies grain and fuel to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, builds social and economic facilities, trains Afghan students in best Kazakh universities, and promotes the participation of Kabul in regional trade, investment and infrastructure projects.

Minister Kazyhanov held a number of bilateral meetings with his foreign counterparts. In particular, he had talks with foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Finland, Japan, as well as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, to discuss the present state and future of political and economic cooperation.

The leaders of all 28 NATO member states expressed their gratitude to the countries of Central Asia in the Chicago Summit Declaration issued on May 20. "We welcome the progress on transit arrangements with our Central Asian partners and Russia," the Declaration says. It also highlights that Afghanistan's neighbours in the region "have important roles in ensuring enduring peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and in facilitating the completion of the transition process." NATO leaders expressed their readiness to continue dialogue and practical cooperation with relevant regional actors.

Minister Kazykhanov arrived in Chicago on May 20. The same day, the Foreign Minister held a meeting with Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake, during which the sides reaffirmed the strategic nature of bilateral relations. They also discussed the progress of implementing the agreements reached at a meeting between Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the U.S. President Barack Obama during the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in March, 2012. In particular, these concerned cooperation in nuclear non-proliferation, promoting regional stability, development of trade and economic cooperation, as well as direct contacts of citizens of both countries.

The sides also highlighted the importance of the first meeting of the Strategic Partnership Commission, which took place in Washington in April 2012. The Commission was established following Kazykhanov's meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on February 1, 2012.