OSCE-CICA Cooperation discussed in Washington

    Kazakhstan's Ambassador-at-Large Dulat Bakishev has completed his visit to the United States.
    During his visit, he met with US Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference Rashad Hussain and officials from the US expert community.
    Coopration issues involving the CICA and Kazakhstan's chairmanship over the OIC were discussed.
    Bakishev participated in a conference of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies called, Regional Approaches to Global Problems: Prospects for Cooperation between the OSCE and CICA”.
    Leading US experts in security in Asia, Central Asia and Middle East expressed their viewpoints on prospects for CICA-OSCE cooperation.
    The conference was designed to spur ongoing Kazakh-Turkish joint work to acquaint the US with CICA, and its efforts to ensure security on the Asian continent.
    “The foundation for this was laid down due to the efforts and policy of Kazakhstan's President,Nursultan Nazarbayev,” Bulent Aliriza, an official for the Turkish chairmanship in the CICA said.
    He stressed the project initiated by Kazakhstan disseminates the OSCE's principle of “indivisibility of security” in Asia, and has created an effective platform for all-round discussion of urgent issues of present times.
    The US experts backed this viewpoint, and noted that in the past 20 years, Kazakhstan has become a bridge between two systems of security - the OSCE in Europe and CICA in Asia.
    The Conference demonstrated an evolution of political thought in the US regarding the importance of CICA for strengthening security in Asia.
    Washington officials recognized the US should learn more about CICA and participants expressed optimism on prospects for cooperation during the conference in the fight against terrorism, extremism and illegal drug trafficking, Kazinform said.