Kazakhstan and NATO: state and prospects of cooperation
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belgium, Luxembourg, Head of the Kazakhstan's Missions to the European Union and NATO Yerik Utembayev told a Kazinform correspondent about the state and prospects of cooperation of our country with the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization and the main dimensions and programs of interaction.
According to the Head of the Kazakh diplomatic mission, the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) is the key instrument of our cooperation with the Organization. It is aimed at providing an in-depth political dialogue and achieving particular goals on above-mentioned directions of cooperation.
The main direction of interaction with the Alliance is collaboration in the military sphere based on the Individual Partnership Program (IPP) and within programs "The Planning and Review Process" (PARP) and "The Concept of Operational Capability".
The main purpose of Kazakhstan's participation in the PARP is training and equipment of separate units of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan, in particular Kazbat"/ "Kazbrig" peacekeeping force in accordance with the NATO standards. "Practical assessment of Kazbat interoperability by the Alliance experts is held annually at the traditional "Steppe Eagle" international exercise. "Partnership for Peace" training center was established in Almaty in order to improve expertise and skills of military men", Y.Utembayev said.
As the Ambassador noted, exchange of experience in the field of prevention and elimination of natural and technological disasters, training of specialists of the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency in the leading European centers, training and equipment of rescue squad, assistance in establishment of modern information-telecommunication system in the structures of the Ministry are prosperous directions for cooperation with the Alliance in emergency situations.
Joint projects aimed at addressing the problems of Semey, the Aral Sea, strengthening of the non-proliferation regime, provision of bio-security have been and are still realized within the scientific cooperation with the NATO.
Concerning the appraisal of our cooperation by the North-Atlantic Alliance, the NATO document considering the first cycle of the Individual Partnership Action Plan writes that "Kazakhstan is the key partner of the NATO in the region and plays an important role in maintenance of stability and security in Central Asia".
Besides, the multi-vector foreign policy of Astana providing close relations with the European Union, the USA, Russia and China and active position of Kazakhstan in promotion of regional initiatives and participation in regional organizations - the CIS, EurAsEC, SCO and CICA are complimented as well.
"The conduction of regular NATO/EAPC Security Forum in Kazakhstan in June 2009 held in the CIS region for the first time is another evidence of high appraisal of the Kazakhstan's contribution to provision of the regional and global security and the image of the Head of our State in foreign affairs", Y.Utembayev said.