President thanked counterparts for participating in opening of EXPO-2017

"As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018, Kazakhstan will make every effort to resolve regional and global conflicts in cooperation with you. We wholeheartedly support the efforts of Afghan leadership in strengthening the intra-Afghan political dialogue and transformation of the country into a stable, sustainable and developing state, as this is in the interests of the whole region," said Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The President reminded that Kazakhstan on the Astana process platform continues to make its feasible contribution to the negotiation process on the settlement of the Syrian crisis.

It was also noted that Kazakhstan is adherent to the idea of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

"In this regard, we are in favor of resuming negotiations on the settlement of the nuclear problem of North Korea at the earliest," the Head of State said.

The President noted that Kazakhstan also supports global efforts to develop "green energy".

"Today, we will partake in the opening ceremony of the international specialized exhibition EXPO-2017 themed "Future Energy". I express my sincere gratitude to you all for accepting my invitation and participating in this event. For several months, the most advanced technologies in the field of clean energy will be showcased here. And I hope that the results of the Astana EXPO will bring tangible benefits to all the SCO states as well as the international community," said Nursultan Nazarbayev.

At the end of his speech, Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that the fundamental interests of the SCO member states dictate the need to further deepen and expand cooperation in a larger format involving eight states.

"I am confident that it is only through joint efforts that we can achieve a high level of interaction and meaningful results in all key areas of the Organization's work," he concluded.