NEWS

Statement by Mr. Kanat  Saudabayev, Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and Secretary of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the International Conference on Afghanistan

Kabul, 20 July 2010

Dear Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to thank the Afghan Government for its warm hospitality and excellent organization of this international Conference. 

High representation of 70 states from all over the world and a dozen international organizations confirm the strong determination of the entire international community to assist in the realization of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy in order to build a stable, democratic, and prosperous Afghan state.

We place high hopes on the outcome of this forum on the eve of the gradual transfer of full responsibility for security throughout the country directly to the Government of Afghanistan.  We are convinced of the need to strengthen the cooperation of multilateral structures in the settlement of the Afghan issue with the leading role of the United Nations and taking into account the position of the Afghan Government.   

Distinguished participants,

The policy of the Afghan Government aimed at ending the bloodshed through reintegration of representatives of the whole spectrum of political forces into peaceful life, as well as the National Plan on reconciliation, “Agreement between the Government and Afghan People”, deserve positive assessment and long-term support from the international community.

Kazakhstan’s strategy on Afghanistan prioritizes rehabilitation and post-conflict restoration of Afghanistan, which is in line with the decision adopted at the London conference on strengthening the humanitarian component in the assistance from the international community. 

In the area of security assistance we have presented concrete proposals on the training of Afghan border officials and police personnel at training centers in Kazakhstan. 

In the area of combating drug trafficking and related threats we consider it necessary to make use to the maximum extent possible of the opportunities provided by the UN Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre (CARICC) and to share information between the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

We have begun implementing President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s initiative for an educational programme to train Afghan young people at higher and vocational educational institutions in Kazakhstan. The first 200 students will take up their studies this year. Kazakhstan has allocated 50 million US dollars for these purposes.

Kazakhstan has demonstrated its commitment to developing trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan by opening an office of its Chamber of Commerce in Kabul. 

We also intend to continue rendering necessary humanitarian assistance.

Distinguished participants,

Within the framework of our Chairmanship in the OSCE, Kazakhstan is working purposefully on consolidating the efforts of the participating States on rendering assistance to Afghanistan within all three dimensions of Organization’s activities.

At the OSCE Informal Ministerial Meeting in Almaty last weekend, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan reiterated, “There is no doubt a new OSCE strategy  on Afghanistan is necessary”.

Kazakhstan’s strategic approach to the Afghan issue became one of the foundations of a historical consensus reached there on holding an OSCE Summit in Astana before the end of 2010.

As far as the substantive agenda of the first meeting of heads of state and government of our Organization in eleven years is concerned, we believe that making concrete decisions on the highest level on increased OSCE involvement, within its mandate, into the international efforts on assistance to Afghanistan should meet the interests of all participating States.

We are actively developing this vision during ongoing events held under the auspices of Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship.

On July 8 and 9 this year, an International Conference on Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and Strengthening Control of Precursor Chemicals took place under our auspices in Vienna.

At the initiative of Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship, the Afghan issue was discussed at the special conference of the OSCE Group of Asian and Mediterranean Partners on “Security and Economic Cooperation in Eurasia in the Twenty-First Century”, which was held within the framework of the Third Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

The Afghan issue will also be taken up at the planned OSCE Conference on combating terrorism on 20 and 21 October this year in Astana.

Under Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship, the OSCE will continue to involve Afghan officials and NGO representatives in OSCE activities within all three dimensions. This will enable us to establish mechanisms for sharing rich experience of the Organization in such pressing issues for the Afghan community as the fight against corruption, good governance, legislative work and so on.

As OSCE Chairman-in-Office, I would like to emphasize the importance of changing the very paradigm of combating today’s challenges, which come from Afghanistan, shifting emphasis from military means to eradication of sources of these challenges. Helping the Afghans move from the military conflict to a constructive track is a main objective of both the OSCE and international coalition.

On behalf of the OSCE, I would like to express our readiness to assist in the electoral reform and our hope that the upcoming parliamentary election of September 18 will contribute to the establishment of the full-fledged legislative and executive branches of the government and, ultimately, to building a stable and democratic state in Afghanistan.

Thank you for your attention.

Date of issue: 2010-07-20