UN Population Fund views Kazakhstan as regional hub

UN Population Fund views Kazakhstan as a regional hub, Tengrinews.kz reports citing deputy Secretary General of the UN and Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin as saying after his meeting with Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov. “Kazakhstan is becoming a regional hub and we have to see how Kazakhstan grows, develops and renders support to the neighboring countries in this region. We will jointly work to achieve that. I would like to note that my visit to Kazakhstan and this meeting were very productive. We view Kazakhstan as a growing regional hub and it has to become a regional hub, a center for our work in the region,” Osotimehin said after the meeting with Kazakhstan Foreign Minister. According to UNFPA Executive Director, Kazakhstan had showed excellent results in many areas. He noted that an impressive economic growth, as well developing education and healthcare. “We also see a significant progress in decreasing maternal mortality, when women die during child delivery. We also note a significant progress in decreasing HIV/AIDS spread. Kazakhstan has also been heavily investing in the young people,” UNFPA head stressed. He noted that the fund was working in Kazakhstan’s regions. “Being a part of the UN family, we are performing a significant work in Kazakhstan, in particular with Eastern Kazakhstan, to develop all country’s regions to the same level. We are working with Kazakhstan government to provide each young man, each woman, each pregnant woman and each teenager with the necessary information,” Osotimehin said. By Aidana Ussupova