Nazarbayev calls Central Asia to solve water issues

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev has called Central Asian leaders to discuss water issues, Tengrinews reports. Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Nazarbayev said that Central Asia countries had to resolve water disputes by themselves. "There is a need for an open dialog on water issues in the region. Nobody will solve the problems for us. We have to come to a consensus ourselves," Nazarbayev emphasized. The President of Kazakhstan also spoke of the importance of cooperation in the fight against terrorism and cyber-crimes in the framework of the SCO. Nazarbayev put forward an initiative to expand the powers of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) in these areas. Kazakhstan President also called his SCO counterparts to more actively support Afghanistan it its efforts to ensure stability. "Stability in Afghanistan is very significant. Our main task is to ensure peace and accord. The Afghanistan people hold the key to the stability. But the further stabilization in the country is extremely relevant for the SCO as well," Nazarbayev said. Besides, he asked his SCO counterparts to support Kazakhstan when it becomes a member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018. "Our organization is well-known already, and we can make important decisions," Nazarbayev said. Kazakhstan's President called for a revision of economic relationships in the frames of the SCO. He called to focus on development of automobile and railway links between China and Western Europe. Nazarbayev said that the construction of the Kazakhstan sector of the Western Europe-Western China highway corridor would be completed in 2015. According to Nazarbayev, create The SCO Development Bank and the SCO Energy Club would be very important for the region.