President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with United
Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Almaty. During the meeting, the
Head of State thanked the distinguished guest for his visit to Kazakhstan.
According to President Tokayev, the opening of the first SDG Centre in Central
Asia is a major achievement for the entire region.
«I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you
personally as well as to your team for consistent support of our initiative.
And of course, I commend your timely and forward-looking UN80 initiative, and
Kazakhstan fully supports your reform efforts and shares your priorities. And
in this spirit, I reaffirm Kazakhstan’s unwavering commitment to the UN’s
foundational principles of multilateralism, diplomacy and cooperation, that are
at the heart of the United Nations,» President Tokayev noted.
In turn, António Guterres noted Kazakhstan’s contribution to
strengthening international cooperation and promoting the Sustainable
Development Goals.
«Kazakhstan is a symbol of peace, a symbol of dialogue, it’s
a bridge builder, an honest broker in many circumstances, starting with your
historic decision to abandon nuclear weapons a few decades ago. That was a
remarkable example to the world. And when people talk about the clash of
civilizations, the truth is that Kazakhstan has demonstrated through Kazakhstan
itself, but especially through all your initiatives that there is scope for
dialogue and cooperation of people of different religions, of people of
different cultures. And you have always been a center spreading this message of
bringing people together,» said António Guterres.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and António Guterres took part in the
signing ceremony of the host country agreement on the establishment of the UN
Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and
Afghanistan. According to the Head of State, this event reflects the region’s growing
strategic importance and marks an important milestone in the cooperation
between Kazakhstan and the United Nations.
«Today, Central Asia is demonstrating unprecedented unity
and strong commitment to the principles of good-neighborhood and shared
progress. We want to foster potential of Central Asia as an active broker in
tackling major international issues, and therefore consistently promote a
constructive and forward-looking agenda on the global stage. In this context,
the establishment of the UN Regional Centre in Almaty is both timely and
strategic,» President Tokayev added.
President Tokayev emphasized that the Centre is set to serve
as a catalyst for coordinated action in making the region’s economies resilient
and vibrant, enhancing regional innovation, and fostering deeper cooperation.
In turn, the UN Secretary-General stated that the opening of the Centre represents
the start of a new chapter for the region in advancing the Sustainable
Development Goals.
«It holds great potential for showing how the strong bonds
among the region’s leaders can translate into deeper economic integration. I
commend President Tokayev for his vision and his leadership in helping to shape
this new Central Asia, that will become more and more a fundamental power in
our world order,» António Guterres added.
In conclusion of his speech, the Secretary-General commended
Kazakhstan’s internal reforms and its constructive role in international
affairs.
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