NATO Representative holds talks in Central Asia

The NATO Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert Simmons, travelled from 29 September to 7 October to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan as part his regular visits to Central Asia.

In both countries, Robert Simmons held consultations with high-level government officials on how to improve co-operation with the Alliance in the context of the Partnership for Peace Programme.

Meeting new authorities

In Kyrgyzstan, the Special Representatiave held discussions with several members of the newly installed cabinet following elections earlier this year. He met with the Minister of Defence, the Minister of the Interior, the Deputy Minister for Ecology and Emergency Situations and with high-ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry, as well of the National Security Council. He also met with members of the Parliament.

In addition to discussions about how to improve NATO’s relations with Kyrgyzstan, Robert Simmons talked to his Kyrgyz counterparts about the situation in neighbouring Uzbekistan following the events in Andijan in May of this year.

In this context, he praised the Kyrgyz authorities’ courageous decision to allow Uzbek refugees to move on to third countries. Robert Simmons thanked the Kyrgyz authorities for their support to NATO’s stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan, by granting NATO Allies the use of airport facilities for logistic support and overflight rights. Robert Simmons also met with the Governor of the southern Kyrgyz region of Osh and addressed a conference on Security in Central Asia at the Technical University in that city.

Tailored relations

In Kazakhstan, Robert Simmons held meetings in the capital Astana with the Minister of Defence, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Emergency Situations and with the Secretary of the Security Council. He also met with members of both houses of Parliament.

In all discussions he praised Kazakhstan’s important decision to participate in the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), a mechanism that will tailor the country’s relations with the Alliance according to goals that it chooses and that will help Kazakhstan to better pursue efforts in defence reform with support from NATO.

In Almaty, Robert Simmons gave a speech at the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research KIMEP. He also visited the Kazbat, a unit of the Kazakh armed forces on the way to become interoperable with NATO forces. The Special Representatiave for Central Asia and the Caucasus also thanked the Kazakh authorities for their support to Allies’ operations in Afghanistan by granting overflight rights.