Multilateral Meeting on Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia

Nur-Sultan, December 10, 2020 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Marat Syzdykov took part in an annual meeting of the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Central Asia and Afghanistan, organized by the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) online.

The meeting was also attended by Under Secretary General - Head of Counter-Terrorism Directorate Vladimir Voronkov, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca, Head of UNRCCA - Special Representative of Secretary General Natalia Gherman and a number of other high-ranking UN representatives.

During the event, the participants reviewed common challenges and ways to resolve issues relevant to the Central Asian region, outlined long-term plans for cooperation, and also discussed further steps to counter security challenges in the region.

1. Syzdykov in his speech emphasized that Kazakhstan invariably stands for the expansion of regional cooperation in Central Asia, and noted a common interest in politically and economically stable and safe development of the region, based on mutual trust and respect for each other's interests. The Deputy Foreign Minister briefed the participants on the measures taken by our country to respond to urgent challenges and threats faced by the region, including terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking, water, energy and environmental issues, transit issues and access to world markets.

Overall, the speakers welcomed the dynamics of regional cooperation, expressed support for the relevant efforts by UNRCCA, and also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation with Afghanistan.

A separate session was devoted to discussing regional peace and security issues with youth representatives, as part of the UNRCCA initiative on Regional Government-Youth Dialogue.