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EU backs establishment of Disaster Response and Risk Reduction Centre in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Materials 14 July 2011 15:19 (UTC +04:00)
The European Union backs the establishment of the Central Asian Disaster Response and Risk Reduction Centre in Kazakhstan, EU Commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response Kristalina Georgiyeva said.
EU backs establishment of Disaster Response and Risk Reduction Centre in Kazakhstan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 July/ Trend/

The European Union backs the establishment of the Central Asian Disaster Response and Risk Reduction Centre in Kazakhstan, EU Commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response Kristalina Georgiyeva said, Kazinform reported.

"The creation of this centre is of vital meaning for Central Asia for the region, as you know, faces high disaster intensity and frequency. Therefore, in order to protect people and economies it is crucial to expand regional and international cooperation", she told following the meeting with Kazakh Emergencies Minister Vladimir Bozhko.

To that end the EU supports the establishment of such a regional centre which will become a platform for European - Central Asian interaction in the future, the EU Commissioner said.

Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Central Asian Centre for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction was signed by the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan, the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan and the Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense under the Government of Tajikistan in Almaty last October.

In long term the proposed Center will be in a position to strengthen member-states' national platforms or other multi-sectoral mechanisms for disaster risk reduction in the region.

The prospects of cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan regarding prevention, forecasting and liquidation of the consequences of emergency situations were discussed within the visit of the Kazakh delegation headed by Minister Bozhko to Brussels.

Kazakhstan is interested in development of cooperation with the European Commission because it is the main executive body of the EU which concentrates and coordinates the activities of 27 European countries and candidate states that are still going to join the Union in emergency situations, the Minister said. Besides, it provides humanitarian aid in relatively small amount around the world.

"We need to learn from experience accumulated here", he said.

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