President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Astana, July 3, 2024.

 

At the beginning of the meeting, the President of Kazakhstan expressed gratitude to the UN Secretary-General for accepting the invitation to visit Astana and participate in the SCO summit.

 

 

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that António Guterres's visit is an excellent opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Nations.

 

“Your visit to Astana and participation in the SCO summit are vivid symbols of close cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Nations. This reflects our involvement in UN activities. Kazakhstan and I personally, as the Head of State, fully support the activities of the United Nations in the current difficult conditions," President Tokayev said.

 

 

In turn, António Guterres said that he considers his visit a manifestation of the solidarity and support that the UN provides to Kazakhstan and its chairmanship in the SCO.

 

“Kazakhstan is a vivid example of a consistent struggle for peace. Your country has always been a bridge builder, a messenger of peace, a mediator in the cause of unification, including in very difficult circumstances. Astana is the center of many peacekeeping initiatives, including the Astana process on Syria. Astana has always been a platform for peace, and Kazakhstan has great moral authority. You are leaders in the field of nuclear disarmament, and in many other areas, you have demonstrated your commitment to peace," the UN Secretary-General said.

 

António Guterres highly appreciated Astana's chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. He expressed strong support for the large-scale political and economic reforms being carried out in Kazakhstan and also stressed the important role of the country in ensuring global security and peace.

 

 

Special attention was paid to strengthening regional cooperation among the Central Asian states. The UN Secretary-General praised the processes of economic integration in the region and noted its enormous potential in addressing global issues.

 

Additionally, priority areas of multifaceted cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Nations, as well as current international issues, were discussed.