Head of Kazakhstan’s Mission to the European Union Margulan Baimukhan took part in Brussels in the 7th international conference, Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, where he presented Astana’s position on the issue and the humanitarian assistance provided by our country, El.kz cites MFA.
The conference, jointly organized by the European Union and the United Nations, brought together about 60 countries and more than 20 international organizations to discuss ways of providing aid to Syria, in the wake of the armed conflict that has been going on for 13 years, and to its neighbors hosting refugees from there.
Opening the conference, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stressed the impossibility of reconciliation with the current plight of the Syrian people and said the international community must find ways to resolve the conflict. Our task today is to bring hope, some relief, he stressed.
Ambassador Baimukhan emphasized the importance of humanitarian assistance provided by the international community through various UN agencies and suggested the Islamic Organization for Food Security, headquartered in Astana, is considered as an instrument for supporting Syria and its neighbors. To this end, Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with donor states and international financial institutions.
Stressing the special importance of efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria, the Kazakh diplomat said that thanks to the Astana process on Syria, the levels of violence has reduced and a dialogue between the conflicting parties has been established.
As a result of the conference, the international community pledged to allocate 5.6 billion euros in 2023 and subsequent years. The money pledged will be used to support people in Syria and neighboring countries hosting Syrian refugees. The EU pledged €3.8 billion, including €2.1 billion from the European Commission and €1.7 billion from EU member states.