Kazakhstan, Astana, May 29 / Trend D. Mukhtarov /
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kazykhanov received Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova, who arrived in Kazakhstan on her first official visit. Director General's visit to Kazakhstan has coincided with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of cooperation between Kazakhstan and UNESCO (May 22, 1992).
In his opening remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan summarized two decades of Kazakhstan's participation in UNESCO activities. It was noted that the organization has supported the country in conducting a series of reforms and implementation of projects in the field of education and science, preservation of cultural and natural heritage.
Currently, Kazakhstan is a member of the Executive Council, the Intergovernmental Councils of International Programs "Information for All" and Communication Development, Chairman of the Committee on Conventions and Recommendations. Kazakhstan intends to continue to contribute to international efforts to achieve universal access to quality education, development of people's culture, and communication technologies and the use of scientific progress by all countries.
Minister of Foreign Affairs said Kazakhstan supports the adopted UNESCO Programme of Action in the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence. Moreover, Kazakhstan has initiated the resolution of the General Conference of UNESCO (November 2011) to proclaim the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures from 2013 to 2022, co-sponsored by 27 member states of UNESCO. The Minister stressed that Kazakhstan is going to be a candidate for election to the World Heritage Committee in 2013, and continue to support the initiatives of UNESCO and is ready for further fruitful cooperation.
On her part, Irina Bokova expressed her sincere gratitude to President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev for the invitation to attend the Fourth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana. She noted that UNESCO has consistently supported the activities of the Congress, sending a large delegation at the level of the organisation's management (In 2006 the second Congress was attended by Mr. Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, in 2009 the third President of the Executive Board of UNESCO attended Congress).
The Director General thanked the Government of Kazakhstan for voluntary contribution to the UNESCO's Multi-Donor Emergency Fund.
Bokova also appreciated the activities of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO, Kazakh initiative to promote the resolution of the General Conference of UNESCO in November 2011 to proclaim the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures from 2013 to 2022 co-sponsored by 27 member states of UNESCO.
