ASTANA – Kazakhstan is advocating to combine international efforts to assist Afghanistan and address the country’s complex humanitarian crisis, said Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov at a meeting with United States Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, reported the ministry’s press service.
Central Asia and the US considered the provision of humanitarian aid, the protection of human rights, international cooperation with Afghanistan, security and fight against terrorism. Photo credit: gov.kz.
West arrived in Astana to attend the C5+1 special session on Afghanistan on July 27-28, during which Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the U.S. considered the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghan people, the protection of human rights, international cooperation, security and the fight against terrorism.
Umarov outlined the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to establish a UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty to promote cooperation in socio-economic and trade investment development.
Talgat Kaliyev, Ambassador-at-large of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, highlighted the importance of a single agreed pragmatic approach to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan.
Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov with US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Rina Amiri. Photo credit: gov.kz.
The U.S. commended the actions taken by the Kazakh government to provide assistance to the Afghan people, particularly measures to stabilize the country’s social and economic situation.
Founded in 2015, C5+1 is a regional diplomatic platform for the interaction of five Central Asian countries with the U.S. in trade, economic and other areas of mutual interest.
