Kazakh Foreign Minister visits NATO

  • 04 Oct. 2006 -
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  • Last updated: 23 Aug. 2012 17:27

The Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Kassymzhomart Tokayev, visited NATO HQ on 4 October, for talks on the implementation of his country's Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO.

b061004a 4th October 2006 Visit to NATO by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kassymzhomart Tokayev Left to right: Kassymzhomart Tokayev shaking hands with NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

Mr. Tokayev met with the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and addressed the North Atlantic Council, the Alliance’s principal decision-making body.

Central Asia is an integral part of the Euro-Atlantic area and a strategically important region,” said the NATO Secretary General during the meeting, “We face common challenges such as terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regional and ethnic conflicts.

The Secretary General said Kazakhstan was an important partner, and expressed support for the democratisation process in the country, which was “a key prerequisite for ensuring long-term stability and prosperity”.

In January this year, Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian country to sign an Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO.

Developed on a two-year basis, the plan is designed to bring together all the various cooperation mechanisms through which a partner country interacts with the Alliance, sharpening the focus of activities to better support its domestic reform efforts.

In 2004, at the Istanbul Summit, NATO agreed to enhance cooperation with countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus.