Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Heads of the State and Government,

Leaders of international organizations,

Ladies and gentlemen!

First off, let me cordially thank President of Turkey His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Gül for his warm hospitality and excellent organization of this Forum.

Over the past years, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asiahas solidified into a reputable forum and important mechanism for a region-wide dialogue on strengthening security and stability.

It is with deep satisfaction that I would note the completion of the institutionalization phase of the Forum. 

The set of documents adopted by CICA has clearly demonstrated the ability of our forum to keep up with time in the environment when the entire world is busy shaping adequate responses to modern challenges and threats.

CICA Declaration of Principles, Almaty Act, Catalogue of CBMs, Rules of Procedure, and finally, the Convention on Immunities and Privileges have set wide legal framework for practical interaction in every direction of CICA’s activity. 

Considerable progress has been achieved in the development of key directions of  CICA’s activity.  Five years’ negotiations have eventuated in the agreement to discuss the military and political dimension issues. 

Of special mentioning is the activities of CICA coordinating and co-coordinating countries who are implementing individual confidence building measures: specific projects in areas such as transport corridors, combating illicit drug trafficking, and disaster management.

International Secretariat is successfully running in Kazakhstan. Two summits and three ministerial level meetings have been held.  Ties were established with international and regional organizations and fora.  The Conference has been given an observer status under the UN General Assembly.

CICA has been assuming new traits that would allow it transform in the future into a full-fledged Organization for Co-operation and Security in Asia.

I am glad to welcome Vietnam and Iraq who joined CICA as full members and Bangladesh as an observer. Thus, our forum has brought together 22 states that occupy over 90% of the Asian territory, with total population over half the globe’s population.

Taking into account the expanding membership of CICA and increasing international recognition of the Forum, I would like to propose for your consideration the possibility of promoting the status of the CICA Secretariat’s CEO from Executive Director to Secretary General’s  level.

Your Excellencies,

Nuclear threat remains one of the most serious challenges faced by humanity.

Having voluntarily given up the nuclear weapon, Kazakhstan continues making efforts to strengthen international security.

At the Global Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C. earlier this April, I suggested to elaborate new universal Treaty on comprehensive horizontal and vertical non-proliferation, to regulate the legal status of nuclear-weapon-free zones, establish the International Nuclear Fuel Bank, Nuclear Security Training Center. And I also proposed other significant initiatives.

Kazakhstan welcomes rapprochement between the two nuclear powers: India and Pakistan.  We also look forward to progress in establishing a nuclear-free zone in Near East.

We firmly believe that the current situation with Iranian nuclear program should only be addressed using diplomatic avenues. 

Agreements on uranium cooperation among Iran, Turkey and Brazil became an important step towards this end.

We are also greatly concerned with the recent escalation of tension in relations between North and South Korea. We call upon the two parties to display reason and restraint and prevent any actions that might further escalate tension in the Korean peninsula.  

In unfolding situation, it is critical to promote the dialogue in military and political track.  For this, CICA has the CBM Catalogue which clearly defines the direction for cooperation.

Efficient implementation of the CICA-reaped toolkit comprising the confidence building measures will help reduce the likelihood of incidents similar to what happened last week inEastern Mediterranean.

From this podium, I would like to call upon all parties to this conflict to have constructive dialogue, without which dialogue we can barely speak about safety and stability in the region.

Dear friends,

We all proceed from common ground when wishing Afghanistan lasting and sustainable development.  Revival of peaceful, independent and prospering Afghan state is the main prerequisite for combating threats and challenges, such as illicit drug and weapon trafficking, terrorism, and religious extremism.

Kazakhstan attaches great importance to world community’s efforts to fight Afghan opiates.  We opened the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center. I suggest that CICA focuses on establishing cooperation with the above Center.

Our country has been advocating the comprehensive approach for bringing Afghanistan back to peaceful development rut. We are implementing an educational program which will spend USD 50 million to educate one thousand Afghanis civil specialties in Kazakhstani training centers.

Dear participants and guests,

Economic dimension is among the key directions of CICA activities, and its relevance in global crisis environment has been ever increasing.

Asia is now becoming a “locomotive” for world economy, and it is here that the post-crisis configuration of the world financial system is being shaped. Importantly, CICA currently comprises countries which produce one-third of global GDP. And I am convinced that global crisis provides us unique opportunity to build a new architecture of global economy based on adequate foreign exchange financial system.

The present economic situation in Europe testifies that world financial crisis yet has not come to the end, and its future remains vague. Last April, at the Boao Asian forum I proposed to establish the Asia 20 in Asia, comprising industrially developed countries and put into effect a qualitatively new supranational settlement and payment toolkit.  This initiative, I suppose, could be implemented based on our Conference. 

Realizing its role of a responsible participant of regional and global economic processes,Kazakhstan has engaged in revival of Great Silk Road routes which since ancient times have been connecting East and West.  The development of transportation and energy infrastructure, construction of new rail and automobile roads and pipelines is a tangible contribution of Kazakhstan to the development of regional interaction and global energy security.

Kazakhstan, a large grain exporting country, helps achieve the UN Millennium Goals in eradicating hunger and addressing the global food security challenge.

Today, we see an increasing number of states that become aware of the necessity to unite their efforts with their neighbors in the region.  I believe that common interest in sustainability of economic ties can be a key factor of regional security and stability.  Along with that, we still feel the repercussions of the world financial and economic crisis that exacerbate social problems in some Asian countries.

The situation in Kyrgyzstan remains complicated and unstable.  Kazakhstan is supportive of efforts being undertaken by the Kyrgyz side to legalize the power. We are eager to have the constitutional order rule in Kyrgyzstan, along with responsible decision making public bodies.

It is absolutely critical to render every possible assistance to Kyrgyzstan in tackling its acute social and economic problems so that humanitarian catastrophe and tragic events could be prevented.

An unsolved pressing social and economic challenge poses the main reason of the present situation in Kyrgyzstan.

Kazakhstan calls upon the world community to design a large-scale International Relief Plan for Kyrgyzstan. With that, effective system of power should be established to ensure proper and efficient use of delivered relief.

Dear heads of states and governments,

Since the beginning of this year Kazakhstan has been chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

We believe that our chairmanship in the OSCE will usher in a new stage of relationship between East and West and help strengthen mutual trust across the vast area “fromVancouver to Vladivostok”.  Exactly for this reason, I stepped forward to convene the OSCESummit in 2010.

Kazakhstan, in its capacity as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, proposed to establish the OSCE-CICA Forum. 

Cooperation and interaction between CICA and OSCE shall translate into the creation of the Continental Security Platform. I am positive that CICA and SCO as practical embodiment of the idea of Pan-Asian cooperation shall establish close contacts with each other. I suppose the CICA should expand its cooperation with Muslim countries, and first of all, with Organization of Islamic Conference, in a multilateral format.

Dear friends,

Kazakhstan is handing over its mandate for CICA chairmanship to Turkey. 

I would like to emphasize that Turkey possess unique historical, political and cultural experience to advance this extremely complex process of building confidence and promoting the Asian cooperation.

I am sure that the Republic of Turkey will add great momentum to strengthening and further development of our Conference.

I would like to note the relevance and actuality of the Turkish CICA Chairmanship topic titled “Enhanced political and security dialogue in Asia: the key to elaborating cooperative approach to security”.

It is my strong belief that Turkey in its capacity as the CICA Chairman will make purposeful efforts to promote the concept of indivisible cooperative security in Asia through enhanced dialogue and striving to reach consensus on this issue.

Passing the chairmanship baton I would like to remind you Jalal ad-Din Rumi’s saying, “One candle loses nothing of its light kindling another”.

I wish you every success in your new office and pass over the CICA chairmanship to my brother and friend President Abdulla Gül!

Thank you for your kind attention.