Participation of International Community in Strengthening Security in Central Asia Discussed at Oslo Forum OSLO, June 19, 2019 - At the invitation of Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman V

OSLO, June 19, 2019 — At the invitation of Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko took part in the Oslo Forum on current issues of international security.

The Forum is held annually under the auspices of the Government of Norway and is an international platform for mediators in the settlement of international conflicts, negotiators interested in promoting peace processes. The Forum was attended by high-ranking representatives of various countries, international and non-governmental organizations.

One of the important agenda items of the Forum was the development and security of Central Asia, the role of the international community in this process. It is significant that on the eve of this event, on June 17, the Strategy of the European Union for Central Asia: New Opportunities for a Stronger Partnership was adopted at the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

In his speech, Roman Vassilenko noted a new stage in the political development of Kazakhstan after the election of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as President of Kazakhstan, outlining the focus of the Head of State on the consistent social and economic development of the country and reforms. Delivering the speech, the diplomat spoke about the ongoing development of a dialogue between the countries of Central Asia on issues related to joint countering cross-border challenges and security threats (combating terrorism, extremism, organised crime, illegal migration and drug trafficking).

He stressed the need to consolidate international efforts to provide economic assistance in the post-conflict reconstruction of Afghanistan in order to create a zone of peace, security, cooperation and development in Central Asia. The participants of the discussion identified the key problems facing the region and the most effective mechanisms for their solution and assistance from the international community.

It is noteworthy that the issues related to Central Asia, positive contribution of the countries of our region to the rehabilitation of Afghanistan were also raised at a special session at which the situation in that country was considered. Forum participants paid special attention to women's rights - an area where Kazakhstan made a significant contribution through its educational program, in which 1,000 Afghans studied in our country. The session noted the importance of launching a trilateral education program for Afghan women with the participation of the EU, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

A separate panel session was devoted to the situation in Syria, which attracted no less interest of the Forum participants. During the session it was noted that the Syrian conflict had no military solution and could only be resolved peacefully. Kazakhstan's efforts to address this issue as part of the Astana process were underlined.

The special interest, in the context of two thematic sessions at once (Syrian and Afghan), was caused by the information about active work on the return of Kazakh citizens from Syria, particularly, women and children, following the task of First President of Kazakhstan - Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev. “As a result of three Zhusan operations in January and May 2019, 496 citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including 357 children, were evacuated from the combat zone. State agencies and NGOs take measures for their rehabilitation, as a result of which some of the citizens abandoned the radical past, got a job, and the children went to schools and kindergartens,” Roman Vassilenko said.