Activities of Secretary-General in Kazakhstan, 3 August

The Secretary-General arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Sunday, 3 August. He was greeted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu.

Later during the day, the Secretary-General held a meeting with the President of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The Secretary-General underscored the role of Kazakhstan in Central Asia and the world, starting from when Kazakhstan renounced its nuclear weapons and became a symbol of peace and disarmament that is necessary today more than ever.

Following the meeting, the Secretary-General and President Tokayev witnessed the signing of the host country agreement for the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan at the UN Plaza. The agreement was signed by Mr. Nurtleu and Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua.

In remarks following the signing of the host country agreement, the Secretary-General said that the Centre "represents the opening of a new chapter — for the region and for our collective journey towards the Sustainable Development Goals. It symbolizes the new era of cooperation in Central Asia — grounded in shared priorities and solutions.

Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General held a meeting with the UN country team in Almaty.

The Secretary-General departed Kazakhstan in the late afternoon of Sunday, 3 August.