NATO hopes for economic integration of Afghanistan with Central Asia by 2014

NATO hopes for economic integration of Afghanistan with Central Asia by 2014, Tengrinews.kz reports citing chairman of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Karl Lamers as saying after the meeting with Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov. “Speaking of stabilization in Afghanistan, there are two serious factors. Education is the first one. This is what you are doing in Kazakhstan and we appreciate the endeavors you undertake in Afghanistan. It is necessary to give the opportunity to Afghan students to get an education and open further prospects for them this way. This leads to stabilization of the situation. The second factor lays in economic cooperation. Kazakhstan pays attention to this direction and we hope that Afghanistan will get integrated into this region (Central Asia) economically after 2014,” Lamers told the journalists. He also expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for providing the right of passage through Kazakhstan’s air space for NATO aircrafts. Starting from 2003, NATO’s planes have performed over 30 thousand flights in Afghan direction over the territory of Kazakhstan. Lamers noted that the meeting was aimed at exchange of opinions. “We have listened to the Minister’s opinion, we have exchanged our views and at the next meeting in Prague in November we will be able to make a report on this meeting,” he added. By Aidana Ussupova