UNSC hot seat: ‘Kazakhstan will anchor peace, prosperity in region’

Speakers point out Astana’s role in the Afghan peace process

The recent election of Kazakhstan as the chair of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) promises peace and cooperation between states at the global level and also regional integration.

This was suggested by speakers during a seminar on “United Nations Security Council: Kazakhstan's Chairmanship" at the Preston University in the capital. The seminar had been organized by the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies.

Kazakhstan Counselor Darkan said that his country enjoys credibility in the world and is highly regarded as a peacekeeper in international conflicts with uncompromising support to fight against terrorism and extremism.

Darkan said that Kazakhstan believes the world needs to pay greater attention towards building trust in relations between different countries.

Discussing the Afghanistan issue, Darkan said that Kabul must pay special attention to the humanitarian aspect of the crisis. Bahria University Assistant Professor Dr Adam Saud talked about Kazakhstan’s successful nuclear programme rollback.

He said that the UN General Assembly had designated August 29 as the international day against nuclear weapons following the closure of Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site in Kazakhstan — one of the largest nuclear weapon test sites in the world.

Dr Sarwat Rauf, from the National University on Modern Languages, spoke on Kazakhstan’s role in Afghan peace process.

She said that since Astana is a member of various international and regional bodies, it has advocated an inclusive and regional solution to the Afghanistan crisis.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2018.