USA, New York, Sept. 22 /Trend special correspondent A.Privalov/
The important events of Kazakhstan's Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev's program of visit to New York were bilateral and multilateral meetings.
During Saudabayev's meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, the sides discussed preparations for the upcoming October visit of Kazakh President to France and the OSCE summit in Astana on Dec. 1-2. Bernard Kouchner said Paris attaches great importance to both events and is committed to their success.
During the meeting with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission, Baroness Catherine Ashton, Kanat Saudabayev discussed the content of the forthcoming OSCE summit, the situation in Central Asia, including the further coordination of efforts of the OSCE and the EU on stabilization of Kyrgyzstan.
Regarding Kyrgyzstan, Kanat Saudabayev and Catherine Ashton stressed the importance of the deployment of OSCE police advisers in the south of the country, as well as the importance of an international commission on investigation of the June events under the leadership of the OSCE PA Special Representative for Central Asia Kimmo Kiljunen.
As part of the ministerial meeting of troika of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which includes Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Syria and the European Union, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan drew the attention of the high representatives of the two organizations to the importance of greater coordination of efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and promote intercultural and inter-civilizational dialogue and understanding between Islamic world and the West.
Kanat Saudabayev informed the meeting participants, including Catherine Ashton and the OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, of Kazakhstan's efforts to assist Afghanistan on a bilateral basis, including the launching of an educational program for young Afghans in amount of $50 million, and stated that "the postwar rehabilitation of Afghanistan provides a unique opportunity for such organizations as the EU and the OIC to ensure effective returning this country to stable and healthy development ".
Discussing the prospects for establishing a dialogue between Islam and the West, the sides paid special attention to the experience of Kazakhstan to ensure inter-religious and interethnic harmony in their country and promote mutual understanding at an international level.
Saudabayev said "ensuring peace and harmony in a country where representatives of more than 140 nationalities and 46 confessions live, Kazakhstan is seeking to share its experiences with the international community, and in this regard, upon the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Astana has already hosted three congresses of leaders of world and traditional religions. Kazakhstan intends to continue fully contributing to intercultural dialogue, including as a country which will chair OIC Council of Foreign Ministers from the next year."
The interaction within the OSCE and the preparation of the summit of this organization have also been in focus during Saudabayev's talks with the Foreign Minister of Lithuania Audronius Azubalis.
Lithuanian colleague informed Kanat Saudabayev of Vilnius's intention to organize an international conference on Afghanistan, which is especially important in light of the possible decision by the OSCE Heads of States on the organization's participation in post-conflict rehabilitation of the country.
Saudabayev noted the urgency of the Lithuanian initiative, stressing that Kazakhstan considers it important to increase the practical involvement of the OSCE in assistance projects in Afghanistan.