Kazakh President backs Ban Ki-moon for new term as UN Sec-Gen

19:56, 14 June 2011

ASTANA. June 14. KAZINFORM Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev sent a telegram to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to reflect the conceptual approaches of Astana to further development of this universal organization, and express his strong support for the extension of the incumbent UN head's mandate for another five-year term; Kazinform has learnt from the press service of Kazakh Foreign Ministry.

The President noted the UN's pivotal role in maintenance of international peace and security, facilitation of development, observance of human rights, and respect for international law.

According to him, UN remains the uncontested instrument of regulating international relations globally, and this predetermines Kazakhstan's active engagement with the body's efforts to solve the humanity's most acute problems. Nazarbayev said he fully supported Ban Ki-moon's work on "raising UN's efficiency and enhancing its capacities in facing contemporary challenges and threats."

Nazarbayev commended results of Ban's "historic" visit to Kazakhstan in April 2010, which "provided a new qualitative boost to versatile cooperation between his country and UN.

"Your appeal to the international community to multiply efforts in pursuing a world free of the nuclear threat was voiced from the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. We see this as recognition of Kazakhstan's meaningful input into enhancing nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament," the President emphasised in this regard.

Reminding of the forthcoming 20^th anniversary of shutting down the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site on 29 August 1991, Nazarbayev invited UN's leadership to attend the commemorative events in Kazakhstan.

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