(gazeta.kz) - Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, currently on a working visit to the Kingdom of Belgium, met Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General, in the NATO headquarters in Brussels, the presidential press service reports.
Development of the military, technical, and political partnership between Kazakhstan and the NATO, regional and global security, strengthening international non-proliferation and disarmament regime, reports Trend.
After the talks the President of Kazakhstan and the NATO Secretary General participated in an opening ceremony of a photo exhibition dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the closure of Semipalatinsk nuclear test ground in the NATO headquarters. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer noted that the closure was an important achievement of the republic. "Kazakhstan is a key partner of the NATO in Central Asia. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for the support that you provide for the NATO in Afghanistan and for your adherence to the politics of security," - he stressed.
"We, Kazakhstani people, who lived through hell of the nuclear tests are convinced now as 15 years ago that the security consist not of nuclear arsenals, but of peaceful politics, interior stability, sustainable economic and political development of countries and patriotism of its citizens," - Mr. Nazarbayev said speaking at the ceremony.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer noted at a joint briefing that Kazakhstan was the most active partner of the NATO working on an individual partnership plan and an active participant of regional political and social co-operation. "I am sure that this visit of the President of Kazakhstan would give an impact to the development of co-operation between Kazakhstan and the NATO," - he concluded. "Today the co-operation is active and there is a common wish to establish a closer relationship. The co-operation with the NATO is necessary for the development of our army and we are going to go on working," - Mr. Nazarbayev stressed in his turn.