Kazakhstan confident on UN Security Council seat bid

    Kazakhstan is fully committed to its bid to become the first former Soviet republic to occupy one of the non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council, the Kazakh Ambassador to Spain told La Prensa on Thursday.
    Bakyt Dyussenbayev spoke during a forum on Kazakhstan organized by Diplomacia magazine at the Madrid offices of the European Commission.
    "Besides the energy crisis, limited access to food and water represent a serious threat to sustainable development and stability and deserve special attention from the international community. These issues will be a priority for Kazakhstan in the United Nations Security Council," he said.
    Kazakhstan's record in efforts for nuclear safety is another argument in favor of the Kazakh candidacy for a Council seat during the 2017-2018 term.
    Manuel Larrotcha, the former Spanish ambassador in Astana, voiced support for Kazakhstan's Security Council candidacy.
    "The government of Kazakhstan is making the maximum effort and I, personally, believe that a Central Asian country, specifically Kazakhstan, deserves that history gives it an opportunity," he said, Akipress reports.