Official Kabul is placing great expectations on Kazakhstan for restoring peace in Afghanistan. The UN Security Council ministerial debates scheduled for January 19 will bring together foreign ministers of Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. They will discuss the military-political situation in the Islamic Republic and security issues in the region. Kazakhstan is planning to present a draft of a special resolution on Central Asia and Afghanistan.

KHAIRI MOHAMMAD HUMAYUM, TEMPORARY ATTORNEY OF AFGHANISTAN IN KAZAKHSTAN:
- We all know that there is a constant threat from the Taliban and Daesh terrorists in the region, especially in the north of Afghanistan. The situation alarms both the region and the world. Therefore, the UN Security Council’s decision may weaken the influence of the Taliban and the Daesh. The most important thing is to cut the support channels for terrorists.

One of Kazakhstan’s priorities in the UN Security Council is building a nuclear free world, elimination of threat of a world war, promotion of interests of Central Asia, facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan, supporting stable development in Africa, fight against terrorism, and bringing the UN fresh trends of the 21st century. The first year of Kazakhstan’s non-permanent membership in the Security Council fell to a complex period in international relations, same as the current month.

KAIRAT UMAROV, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE FROM KAZAKHSTAN TO UNITED NATIONS:
- This work was largely facilitated by cohesion not only in our Foreign Ministry or foreign organizations but also in other state bodies of Kazakhstan, Ministries and departments. We were well prepared for our presidency. We set up our priorities and approaches to international challenges in advance.

Experts expressed their opinion about how difficult the past and the beginning of current year were for the world community, and how this affected the work of Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council.

MUKHIT-ARDAGER SYDYKNAZAROV, POLITICAL SCIENTIST:
- We have been observing a decline in confidence-building measures among the major players in the international arena throughout 2017. Therefore, January is undoubtedly bringing difficult conditions for Kazakhstan's presidency in the UN Security Council in terms of a diplomatic settlement, the efforts that Kazakhstan will have to make in order to address the problems facing the main international organization, which is the UN.