Speaking to the meeting participants, the Head of State brought into focus Astana Club’s particular meaning and timeliness in the process of forming and finding solutions in overcoming global challenges. The President of Kazakhstan focused on the key characteristics and risks of a new reality in international relations.
- Growing tensions between the major powers deepen changeability of the current world order, making events less predictable. The so-called “post-bipolar” global order is finally becoming a thing of the past. Before our eyes, the contours of the Greater Eurasia are shaping up, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
The Head of State stated that the aggravation of geopolitical antagonism adversely impacted the scale and level of control over local crises. Thus, as the President of Kazakhstan stressed, the probability of incidents that could escalate into full-blown conflicts increases significantly.
- Strengthening confrontation calls into question the effectiveness of global development institutions and security in general. The key trend of the day is “loosening” of the foundations of strategic balance. The situation with agreements on elimination of medium-range and short-range missiles is becoming critical, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
The Head of State pointed to the threat of a decline in world economic growth as a result of trade wars and focused on the problem of economic sanctions imposed on a unilateral basis.
In addition, the President of Kazakhstan spoke about the risks associated with problems that have not been resolved in the countries of the Middle East and caused by the activities of international terrorist and extremist groups.
- 2018 has brought into sharp focus that cybersecurity is turning into a completely new dimension of global stability. Opposition between the key powers shifts to this space. In the coming years, the urgency of the security problem of nuclear and other strategic facilities that can be disabled using cybertechnologies will increase, Nursultan Nazarbayev stated.
The Head of State also dwelled on the issue of security of communication tools used by countries in the context of trade and sanction wars.
In order to find solutions in overcoming global challenges, the President of Kazakhstan proposed updating the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and holding a similar conference on security and cooperation in 2020.
- We understand the fact that the process of concluding a new agreement will be challenging. Therefore, there are good reasons to start preparing for the final negotiations in 2019. Of course, much here will depend on the position of world powers. Within this context, I would like to urge large states to work together to conclude a new agreement, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
The Head of State also stressed the importance of establishing a trusting dialogue between nuclear powers by intensifying negotiations on further reducing nuclear arsenals and creating nuclear-free zones. The President of Kazakhstan once again called on the international community to build a world free of nuclear weapons.
To solve controversial issues in world trade, Nursultan Nazarbayev invited the parties to sit at the negotiating table under the auspices of the WTO in a multilateral format.
- It is in Astana that the ministerial meeting of this organization will be held in 2020. We see a way out of the situation in developing uniform fair rules for trade and investment cooperation. Along with this, solving the problem of trade wars should be looked for in the WTO reform, the Head of State pointed out.
The President of Kazakhstan also noted the need to create a collective security organization in Asia.
- Kazakhstan’s initiative of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia could be the foundation for the future Organization for Security and Cooperation in Asia. On the way to this idea’s actualization, as a first step, I propose to hold a joint consultative meeting of the OSCE, the CICA and the ASEAN Regional Security Forum, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
In addition, the Head of State proposed to organize a conference on security in Eurasia based on Astana Club in the capital city, using the experience of holding such an authoritative forum as the Munich International Conference on Security.
The President of Kazakhstan also pointed out the need to develop a global strategy for cooperation in developing the information space.
In conclusion, Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed the importance of consolidating all efforts to preserve the planet for future generations.
