EU foreign policy chief, OSCE sec gen to address Central Asia security conference in Samarkand
TASHKENT. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Tashkent expects EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, and the foreign ministers of Turkey and Iran to attend the International Conference on Security and Sustainable Development in Central Asia in Samarkand.
The conference, which will be held under the auspices of the UN with the theme "Central Asia: One Past and a Common Future; Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity", will take place in Samarkand on November 10-11, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the forum's program, speakers at the event will include UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca, Mogherini, Greminger, CIS Executive Committee Chairman and Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary General Rashid Alimov, and senior officials of other international organizations, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.
The participants in the conference will also hear speeches by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldayev, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirodjidin Aslov, Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, U.S. National Security Council Senior Director for South and Central Asia Lisa Curtis, and other foreign officials.
The event is expected to involve more than 500 people.
"As is known, the head of state has made transforming Central Asia into an area of stability, sustainable development, and neighborly relations a major priority of Uzbekistan's foreign policy," the ministry said.
"The Samarkand conference is expected to give its participants the opportunity to exchange opinions on key issues concerning security and the region's development and work out ideas offering efficient ways to tackle them," it said.
The organizers of the conference are the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, and the UN Regional Office on Drugs and Crime for Central Asia.