Nazarbayev to deliver speech at ministers conference on Afghanistan

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will take part in the opening of the conference of foreign ministers of Istanbul Process member countries, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the official representative of Kazakhstan President’s Central Communications Service Altai Abibullayev. “The third conference of foreign ministers of Istanbul Process member-countries on Afghanistan will be held in Almaty next week. According to the President’s press-service, Nazarbayev will take part in the opening of the conference and will deliver a welcoming speech,” Abibullayev said at the briefing. According to him, the conference will be attended by representatives of 14 member-states, 17 supporting countries and 11 international organizations. “In general the purpose of the Istanbul Process is to make sure that Afghanistan in involved in the economic and political life of the region as an equal and responsible partner. We are confident that security in Afghanistan and its sustainable development affects the general security and stability in our region,” Abibullayev said. He also added that confidence-building measures are enhanced as part of the process in several directions, including education, regional infrastructure, investment and economic capacities, countering drug-trafficking, terrorism and natural disasters. The forum in Almaty will include a seminar on the transport capacities of Kazakhstan and logistics projects in Central Asia. By Baubek Konyrov