Baku, Azerbaijan, July 4
By Elena Kosolapova – Trend:
The work of the Red Crescent in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is building hope and resilience in both countries, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Tadateru Konoé said, IFRC press service said in a message.
The IFRC president visited the Central Asian nations to meet with volunteers and staff of the Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan and the Kazakh Red Crescent, and to hold high-level discussions with Government leaders on how best to support and promote humanitarian activities in their countries.
“What I have seen in both countries has inspired me, and gives me a great deal of hope,” said Konoé.
In Uzbekistan, Konoé was welcomed to Tashkent and Samarkand by the President of the Red Crescent Khamid Karimov. This was the first visit by a serving IFRC president since the Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan was founded in 1925.
In a series of high-level meetings, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tanzila Narbayeva, and other ministers spoke of their understanding of and support for the Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan’s work as an independent humanitarian auxiliary to the Government, and agreed that this unique role should be strengthened to help build more resilient communities across the country.
During his visit to Kazakhstan, Konoé was welcomed by the Kazakh Red Crescent’s President, Yerkebek Argymbayev.
Konoé and Argymbayev also met with Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Kayrat Abdrakhmanov, on 3 July.
The IFRC president thanked the minister for his Government’s support to the Kazakh Red Crescent, and asked him to consider exploring an enhanced partnership that would include the adoption of a Red Crescent Law in Kazakhstan, and further backing for the Kazakh Red Crescent’s plan to host the 10th European Regional Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Almaty in May 2018.
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