Progress is not possible without trust within countries of Asian region — Nazarbaev
«Asian countries without trust to each other will have difficulties to make meaningful progress in addressing global security challenges,» said President Nursultan Nazarbaev at the jubilee session of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia that was held at the Palace of Independence in Astana.
«Unfortunately, Asia suffers inter-state problems related to territorial disputes and contradictions. The Asian region is area of the greatest concentration of nuclear weapons and is bolstering its military capabilities. The rapid development of Asia is accompanied by aggravation of existing conflicts that are raising the level of mistrust and geopolitical rivalry. Continuing problems of illegal immigration, drug trafficking, territorial claims and separatism, religious extremism and terrorism exist here,» said the President.
The Kazakh President also noted the need to maximize the potential of a forum for joint decision-making on security and cooperation in Asia.
CICA became stable factor of regional policy in security — Kazykhanov
An anniversary session and the 4th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the CICA was held in Astana.
As is known, on October 5 it will be 20 years since proposing the initiative on forming the CICA by the President of Kazakhstan.
«20 years ago Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed to form the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia. Under your leadership over the recent 20 years the CICA gained recognition worldwide,» Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kazykhanov said at the opening ceremony of the session, according to Pm.kz site.
He also noted that presently the CICA became a real and stable factor of regional and global policy in the sphere of collective security.
«It is the CICA that embodies one of the most important principles of our policy — dialogue and interaction for peaceful resolution of conflicts and effective countering of challenges and threats in the Asian continent. These issues are still relevant,» Y. Kazykhanov noted.
The participants of the event discuss the state and prospects of the CICA today. They will exchange opinions on such relevant issues as the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, fighting against transnational crime and priorities of the economic cooperation within the CICA.
As a host country to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Kazakhstan intends to move the secretariat of the organisation from Almaty to Astana, Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov said.
He recalled that the secretariat of the organisation has been based in Kazakhstan since 2006.
A jubilee session and fourth meeting of CICA foreign ministers has started at the Palace of Independence in Astana.
The twentieth anniversary of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s proclamation at the UN General Assembly to convene the CICA will be marked on Oct. 5.
According to the Almaty Act as of 2002, the CICA operates on the basis of a consensus, with voluntary, gradual and convenient principles for all participants. The CICA Secretariat is located in Almaty.
Turkey to continue development of CICA — Davutoglu
Being the chair of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Turkey will continue developing the organization, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu said at the anniversary session of the Conference.
«Turkey is proud to be the chair of the CICA and promote the CICA principles outlined in the document regulating the relations between the CICS member states — Almaty declaration of 2012. This is our fundamental document and being the CICA chair Turkey will continue its implementation,» Ahmet Davutoglu said.
He also noted that diversity of cultures, traditions and values is not a separating but a uniting factor.
«It is difficult sometimes to reach a consensus especially in organizations with such diversity of members as in the CICA. Certainly, cooperation is the key instrument for fulfillment of our tasks,» the Turkish Minister emphasized.
As earlier reported, Turkey chairs the CICA Council of Foreign Ministers since 2014. In 2014, China will take over the chairmanship in the organization.
Kazakh President awards Lavrov 1st degree Dostyk Order
Within the CICA jubilee session Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov, the press service of the Head of State said.
During the meeting, Nursultan Nazarbaev thanked the Russian side for participation in the CICA events and noted the importance of the Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan in strengthening the partnership and friendship between the two countries.
Issues of economic cooperation in various fields, Russia’s support in negotiations on Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO and the prospects of adopting a number of bilateral agreements to strengthen the good neighborly relations between the two countries were also discussed at the meeting.
Following the meeting, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev awarded Sergey Lavrov 1st degree «Dostyk» Order for promoting peace and harmony.
Delegations from 24 member states of the CICA take part in the event. Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, UAE, Palestine, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Korea are the members of the Organization. The USA, Japan, Ukraine, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Bangladesh, Philippines and the UN, the OSCE and the LAS have a status of observers.
World media monitoring
14.09.2012
