#Kazakhstan Deputy FM Ashikbayev meets with high representatives of #NATO, European Union and Belgian foreign ministry

On 3 December, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev met with Deputy Secretary General of NATO Rose Gottemoeller at the new NATO headquarters in Brussels.

During the meeting, the sides discussed international initiatives of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s productive work and contribution to peacekeeping activities within the UN Security Council, as well as the situation in Afghanistan.

On the same day, the Kazakh diplomat met with the EU Special Envoy for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Jacek Bylica. The parties discussed issues related to the work of Kazakhstan as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018, the functioning of the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, and the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank in Astana, the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (SAPA) on resolving the situation around the Iranian nuclear program, investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the issues of Kazakhstan’s entry into a number of multilateral export control regimes, as well as other topical issues in the field of nonproliferation and disarmament.

Bylica noted that the European Union positively assesses and supports initiatives aimed at reducing international tensions.

On 4 December, he met with Director General for Multilateral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium Axel Kenes and discussed issues of the international agenda, activities in the UN Security Council, and Kazakhstan’s initiatives to resolve the situation in Afghanistan.

Kenes noted that in the framework of their non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2019-2020, the Belgian side is open to dialogue and exchange of experience with Kazakhstan.

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In addition, on 4 December, the outcomes of Kazakhstan’s membership in the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 were discussed in Brussels during a conference at the European Institute for Asian Studies entitled ‘Global Kazakhstan for an interconnected world’. The panel discussion was attended by Ashikbayev, MEP Andrey Mamikins, Head of Central Asia Division of the European External Action Service Boris Iarochevitch, Rory Keane, Head of the UN Liason Office for Peace and Security Rory Keane, Cordinator for UN Security Council Membership of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bert Versmessen, as well as representatives of European institutions, the expert community, the diplomatic corps and the media.

During his speech at the conference, Ashikbayev outlined Kazakhstan’s seven priorities while working at the UN Security Council and named several examples of Kazakhstan’s “heritage” for the international organization. Ashikbayev called a thematic briefing of the UN Security Council entitled “Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: confidence-building measures” which was held on 18 January 2018 and was chaired by President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev as the main event during Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the UNSC. Following the event, a statement on a comprehensive conflict prevention strategy was adopted.

“Speaking about the achievements of Kazakhstan, we should definitely mention the Code of Conduct Towards Achieving a World Free of Terrorism. The main idea of this document is to create an international coalition of partner countries,” Ashikbayev emphasized, adding that the document developed by the Kazakh side was supported by representatives of 74 countries of the world.

Another achievement, which was brought to life thanks to the work of Kazakh diplomats, in the opinion of Ashikbayev, was the abolition of sanctions imposed in 2009 on Eritrea.

In addition, Ashikbayev noted that Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council represented the interests of all Central Asia countries and Afghanistan, promoting such pressing issues for the region as countering terrorism and extremism, fighting drug trafficking, organized crime and illegal migration, border security, non-proliferation, etc.

In turn, Keane, in his speech, called the visit of the UN Security Council delegation to Kabul in January 2018, organized by the Kazakhstani chairmanship, an important event, and also thanked the Kazakh side “for the strong support of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia” in Almaty, which among other things, deals with the problems of water resources in the region.

Keane highly appreciated the contribution of our country to the solution of important issues, including the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. He also appreciated the initiatives of Kazakhstan to establish the International Day of Action against Nuclear Testing and the convening of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

Vermessen, representative of the Foreign Ministry of Belgim, which was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2019-2020, praised the measures taken by Kazakhstan in the field of global nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and biological threats.

Iarochevitch, in turn, welcomed the role of Kazakhstan as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and congratulated on the successful chairmanship in January. “The EU highly appreciates the contribution and efforts of Kazakhstan at the international and regional level to prevent and resolve conflicts, in particular, the Astana process,” he said. He also emphasized that the European Union welcomes the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev to start a dialogue between Russia, the USA, China and the European Union on topical issues.

In turn, the MEP A. Mamykins stressed that due to membership in the UN Security Council, as well as the holding of talks on Syria in Astana, “in recent years, Kazakhstan has become much more visible on the international stage”.