NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met Jan. 8 with the leadership of his administration over concerns about the situation in the Middle East and Iran.
Photo credit: akorda.kz.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Secretary of the Security Council, the Chairman of the National Security Committee, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Internal Affairs, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces were present when several officials reported on the issue.
Concerned about the sharp escalation of the situation in the Middle East, President Tokayev noted that the utmost restraint by all parties, as well the use of diplomatic tools, primarily through the United Nations, as well as through bilateral contacts and negotiations, would improve the situation.
The President directed officials to ensure the safety of Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions and its personnel in the Middle East, as well as that of foreign missions and companies in Kazakhstan. He urged the government and agencies to look at socio-economic development and strengthening the defence potential of Kazakhstan amid the aggravation of the international situation.
The Akorda also sent the same day a letter of condolences from President Tokayev to affected countries over the crash of the passenger plane near Tehran. The airplane of the Ukraine International Airlines with 167 passengers on board crashed shortly after taking off from the airport in Tehran, Iran.
Earlier on Jan. 5, Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi had a telephone conversation with his Iranian colleague Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss tensions in the region.
Minister Tileuberdi expressed concern about the situation and urged all parties to exercise restraint to prevent an escalation of the conflict and to seek political and diplomatic ways of resolving the conflict, reported the press service of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry.
