From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Jan 27 2005 - 11:54:15 EST
Kazakh leader urges joint efforts for fighting terror
President Nursultan Nazarbayev has said the world has to develop a
single strategy to "root out the breeding ground for terrorism".
Speaking at the fourth special session of the UN Security Council
Counter-Terrorism Committee in Almaty on 26 January, he said despite the
criticism of the UN, Kazakhstan was confident in its "strategic
consolidating function". The following is an excerpt from report by
Kazakh Khabar TV broadcast the same day; subheadings inserted
editorially:
[Presenter, over video of a meeting] The international community is in
search of new, more effective methods of fighting terrorism. The fourth
special session of UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee
opened in Almaty today under the auspices of the UN. It comprises 15
permanent members of the UN Security Council. The main task of the
committee is to harmonize policies and measures for countering
international terrorism.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed participants in the
meeting with a welcome speech.
Problem of terror topical for Kazakhstan
[Correspondent] The UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee was
set up after the events of 11 September.
[Passage omitted: background on the committee and its previous meetings]
[President Nursultan Nazarbayev] The problems of terrorism and extremism
are topical for Kazakhstan. They are quite specific and real, especially
considering international terrorism's tendency towards globalization,
which was caused by interconnected political, social and economic
problems in regions and in the world community as a whole.
As of today, countering terrorism is a priority area in ensuring
Kazakhstan's national security.
[Correspondent] The head of state has noted that Kazakhstan has already
taken some preventive steps to counter terrorism. Kazakhstan has joined
all the 12 UN conventions in this sphere. An anti-terrorist centre has
been set up in the republic. Legislation is being improved.
At the moment, parliament is considering a draft law that envisages
legal prosecution for extremist organizations. Kazakhstan has also put
in place a system for countering money laundering and financing
terrorism.
Single strategy
[Nazarbayev] Our common task should be to develop a single strategy
aimed at strengthening efforts of the world community and at overcoming
national, religious and ethnic contradictions in order to root out the
breeding ground for terrorism.
This is precisely why a system of all-round, including spiritual,
guarantees of security is needed. As you know, the first congress of the
leaders of the world's traditional religions was successfully held in
Kazakhstan in 2003 following our initiative. It should be noted that its
participants unanimously rejected the use of religion as the ideological
justification for terrorism.
[Correspondent] The head of state has noted the important role of the
media, which should create the atmosphere of zero-tolerance towards any
manifestation of extremist or terrorist activities. At the same time, a
significant volume of work still has to be done, the president noted.
UN's role in fighting terror
[Nazarbayev] In our view, the UN and its specialized organizations are
to play a leading role in preventing and rooting out the threat of
terrorism in the difficult conditions that have now arisen. Despite the
criticism of the UN that has intensified in recent years as regards its
ability to resolve complex international problems, we in Kazakhstan are
confident in the strategic consolidating function that the UN performs.
Kazakhstan is pinning great hopes on the organization: ensuring
stability in the world and forming a just world order based on universal
norms of international law.
[Correspondent] Nazarbayev has also said that Kazakhstan shares the UN's
view on the leading role of the regional security and cooperation
organizations in decreasing the threats of interstate and internal
conflicts. These are the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the
Conference On Confidence-Building in Asia, and the Central Asian
Cooperation Organization.
[Passage omitted: the session is to end its work on 27 January]
Source: Khabar Television, Almaty, in Russian 1500 gmt 26 Jan 05
BBC Mon Alert CAU 260105 slk/dg
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