By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Kazakhstan and the UN signed on Sunday an agreement on the establishment of the international organization’s regional center for sustainable development in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The deal was signed as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the UN Regional Centre in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, along with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who arrived in the Central Asian nation on an official visit earlier in the day.
Kazakhstan’s presidential press service in a statement said Tokayev and Guterres took part in the signing ceremony following bilateral talks.
Tokayev said the opening of the first center for sustainable development in Central Asia is an important achievement for the entire region, and thanked Guterres and his team for their support of this initiative.
“Kazakhstan fully supports your efforts to reform the UN and shares your priorities. In this regard, I reaffirm Kazakhstan’s unwavering commitment to the fundamental principles of multilateralism, diplomacy and cooperation, which underpin the activities of the United Nations,” he added.
Guterres, for his part, noted Kazakhstan's contribution to strengthening international cooperation and promoting sustainable development goals.
The statement said Tokayev and Guterres also discussed the prospects for the activities of the UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, as well as issues of reforming the UN and the international and regional agenda, among other relevant topics.
In 2015, all UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, creating 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seeking to “promote prosperity while protecting the planet.”