ASTANA – At the 16th World Policy Conference held from Nov. 3-5 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko outlined Kazakhstan’s approach to addressing regional and global challenges, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service
The conference, themed The International System between Globalization and Disintegration: Which Forces Will Prevail? brought together over 200 government representatives, leading think tanks, and international companies from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States.
At the session on Eurasian perspectives concerning evolving geopolitical configurations, Vassilenko reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to the principles of the United Nations (UN) Charter, emphasizing respect for territorial integrity, border inviolability, and state sovereignty, which are fundamental to resolving international conflicts and disputes.
The Kazakh diplomat also echoed President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s calls for UN reform, stressing the need to increase the authority of the UN General Assembly as the most representative body, and expand UN Security Council membership to include states from various global regions, particularly middle powers.
Vassilenko expressed Kazakhstan’s interest to expedite a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan and establish an atmosphere of trust and cooperation in the region. He noted that such developments would facilitate the reopening and unblocking of transport communications in the South Caucasus, which would benefit the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
Speaking about the development in Central Asia, the minister outlined three interrelated trends. The first concerns socio-economic and environmental security challenges exacerbated by global warming, along with political security issues arising from the situation in Afghanistan.
The second trend is the enhanced cooperation among Central Asian states as they confront these challenges, which has heightened the region’s agency in global politics.
The third trend involves the active engagement and interaction of external players, including Arab nations, China, the European Union, Russia, Türkiye, and the United States, with Central Asia. These relationships are both bilateral and multilateral, resulting in the establishment of 11 dialogue platforms with international partners under the Central Asia Plus framework, as Vassilenko pointed out.
Addressing the strong reaction from Kazakh citizens to recent headlines in some Western media, the minister stressed the outdatedness, inappropriateness, and incorrectness of viewing Central Asian countries through the antiquated concept of the “Great Game.”
Instead, he advocated for the “Great Gain for all” concept, proposed by Astana, which underlines a unifying role of common challenges, such enhancing interconnectivity, combating climate change, and promoting sustainable economic development.
On the sidelines of the conference, the minister met with Thierry de Montbrial, President of the French Institute of International Relations, to review the outcomes of French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent official visit to Astana.
They also considered prospects for further collaboration with the authoritative French think tank, including preparations for President Tokayev’s planned visit to Paris next year.
Source : AstanaTimes