Cyberdefense is a new measure of global stabilization - Nazarbayev

Delivering a speech, the Head of State underlined the great importance and relevance of the Astana Club in the process of formulating and searching resolutions in global convergence. The President of Kazakhstan resigned on the key features and novel realities in international relations.

“The growing contradictions between the major powers aggravate the instability of the current world order, making events less predictable. The so-called “post-bipolar” world order is finally becoming a thing of the past. The contours of a Greater Eurasia are forming before our eyes”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

The Head of State noted that the aggravation of geopolitical rivalry had a negative impact on the scale and level of control over local crises. Thus, as the President of Kazakhstan stressed, the probability of incidents that could escalate into full-blown conflicts increases significantly.

“Strengthening confrontation calls into question the effectiveness of global development institutions and security in general. The key trend of the day is “loosening” of the foundations of strategic stability. The situation with agreements on the elimination of medium and short-range missiles is becoming critical”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

The Head of State pointed to the threat of a decline in the world economic growth as a result of trade wars and focused on the problem of economic sanctions imposed unilaterally.

In addition, the President of Kazakhstan spoke about the risks associated with problems that have not been resolved in the countries of the Middle East and caused by the activities of international terrorist and extremist groups.

“2018 has convincingly showed that cybersecurity is becoming a completely new dimension of global stability. Opposition between the major powers is transferred to this space. In the coming years, the relevance of the security problem of nuclear and other strategic facilities that can be disabled using cybertechnologies will increase”, Nursultan Nazarbayev stated.

The Head of State also dwelled on the issue of security of communication tools used by countries in the context of trade and sanction wars.

In order to find solutions in overcoming global challenges, the President of Kazakhstan proposed to update the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and hold a similar conference on security and cooperation in 2020.

“We understand that the process of concluding a new agreement will not be easy. Therefore, it is advisable to start preparing for the final negotiations in 2019. Of course, much here will depend on the position of world powers. In this regard, I would like to urge large states to work together to conclude a new agreement”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

The Head of State also stressed the importance of establishing a trusting dialogue between nuclear powers by intensifying negotiations on further reducing nuclear arsenals and creating nuclear-free zones. The President of Kazakhstan once again called on the international community to build a world free of nuclear weapons.

To solve controversial issues in world trade, Nursultan Nazarbayev invited the parties to sit at the negotiating table under the auspices of the WTO in a multilateral format.

“The ministerial meeting of this organization will be held in 2020 in Astana. We see a way out of the situation in the development of uniform fair rules for trade and investment cooperation. Along with this, a solution to the problem of trade wars must be sought in reforming the WTO”, the Head of State said.

The President of Kazakhstan also noted the need to create a collective security organization in Asia.

“Kazakhstan’s initiative of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia could be the foundation for the future Organization for Security and Cooperation in Asia. On the way to the realization of this idea, as a first step, I propose to hold a joint consultative meeting of the OSCE, the CICA and the ASEAN Regional Security Forum”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

In addition, the Head of State proposed to organize in the capital a conference on security in Eurasia based on the Astana Club, using the experience of holding such an authoritative forum as the Munich International Conference on Security.

The President of Kazakhstan also pointed out the need to develop a global strategy for cooperation in the development of the information space.

In conclusion, Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed the importance of consolidating all efforts to preserve the planet for future generations.

Photo by Bauyrzhan Zhuasbayev