Kazakhstan's chairmanship organized visit of UNSC members to Afghanistan

The trip that took place on January 13-15 was the first for the members of the Security Council since 2010 and gave them an opportunity to independently evaluate the effectiveness of the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan and the support of the international community for establishing sustainable peace and stability in that country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan reported.

The visit was organized on the eve of the UN Security Council ministerial debates on "Building a regional partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a model for the interdependence of security and development" scheduled for January 19. Along with the members of the Council, the heads of the foreign policy departments of Afghanistan and Central Asian countries are expected to participate in this event, initiated by the Kazakh chairmanship.

"Kazakhstan, as the first Central Asian country elected to the Security Council, seeks to strengthen cooperation between its neighbors, which is crucial for promoting stability and prosperity in and around Afghanistan, while regional initiatives in support of economic development in Afghanistan can maximize mutual benefits and general security", the UN information message on the results of the visit reads.

The record high level of the delegation should be noted. It consisted of all 15 members of the Security Council, including 11 Permanent Representatives of the countries in the UN, which testifies to the great interest of the world community towards stability in our region.

Within the framework of the extremely intensive program of the visit, the Security Council delegation met with President Ashraf Ghani, head of the executive power Abdullah Abdullah, national security adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar, chairman of the High Peace Council Mohammad Karim Khalili, the ministers of foreign affairs, internal affairs, finance, agriculture , economy, trade, the parliamentarians, the Central Election Commission, the representatives of political parties and civil society, including non-governmental organizations and specializing in women's rights and leadership of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the NATO-led "Resolute support" Mission.

As a result of the visit, the delegation stressed the Security Council's concern about the high level of terrorist threat in Afghanistan by such structures as the "Taliban", "Al-Qaeda" and "Daesh-Velayat Khorasan", and noted the close connection between terrorism and organized crime. In this regard, the importance of further strengthening international and regional cooperation to ensure security in the country was noted.

According to the UN information message, at the end of the meetings the members of the Security Council and the Afghan side "stressed the need to adopt a regional and integrated approach to the security and development that is offered by Kazakhstan as a path of sustainable development, lasting peace and stability in the region. The discussions in Kabul underscored the need to view Afghanistan not as a security threat in the region but as an important partner. It is extremely important to integrate the economy of Afghanistan and neighboring countries, including the Central Asian states, through enhanced interaction and cooperation, in particular by implementing regional infrastructure, trade, investment, transit and transport projects".

In this regard, the Security Council emphasized the close relationship between peace, security and development in the country and in the region. It should be reminded that this emphasis is one of the priorities of the Political Address of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to the UN Security Council of January 10, 2017 "Conceptual vision of Kazakhstan to strengthen global partnership for building the safe, just and prosperous world".

According to the delegation, strengthening security in Afghanistan will open the way for the implementation of important regional economic projects, including projects on infrastructure development, electricity supply, trade expansion and transit services. The Security Council welcomed the growing trend of trade between Afghanistan and its neighbors, especially the Central Asian countries. In turn, the authorities in Kabul are working to create conditions for the implementation of the transit projects of the "TAPI" pipeline, the "CASA-1000" power line network, the railway from Central Asia and China to Iran and South Asia, with access to the ports of Gwadar and Chabahar, which will open centrally -Asian goods the shortest way to the Indian Ocean and will create opportunities for the reverse transit of goods, including through Kazakhstan.

In general, during the visit, the members of the UNSC and the Afghan side "called for better cooperation and coordination in the region, stressing the need for the international community, especially neighboring countries, to support and cooperate with Afghanistan, especially in the fight against terrorism".

The visit of the Security Council to Afghanistan reflects another priority of the President's Political Appeal to the UN Security Council - promoting peace in Afghanistan and forming a regional peace zone in Central Asia. At the meetings in Kabul, Astana's assistance was also repeatedly noted in restoring conditions for a peaceful life in this long-suffering country.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan