9-15 Mar. 2005

Special Representative for Caucasus and Central Asia visits Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan News 15/09/2004 - NATO Appointment of the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Topics Partnership for Peace Multimedia 10/09/2004 - NATO Video interview with Robert Simmons Bob Simmons with Uzbek Minister of Defence Gulamov Robert Simmons, NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from 9 to 15 March. This was Mr. Simmons’ first trip to the region since he was introduced by the NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to the leaders of all the countries of Central Asia during a visit last October. In Kazakhstan, Mr. Simmons met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Kassymjomart Tokaev, Defence Minister Mukhtar Altynbaev, Minister for Civil Emergency Muhammed Kopey, and Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council Erzhan Utembayev. In Uzbekistan, Mr. Simmons met with Defence Minister Kadir Gulamov and with Deputy Foreign Minister Shoyslanov. In both countries Mr. Simmons had discussions also with parliamentarians and students. Bob Simmons with Kazakh Minister of Civil Emergencies Kopey Mr. Simmons thanked his interlocutors in both countries for their support for NATO’s engagement in Afghanistan. He also informed them on the Alliance's decisions to expand the forces of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to the West of the country, including with new Provincial Reconstruction Teams and to support the upcoming parliamentary elections in Afghanistan later this year. Mr. Simmons assessed positively the engagement of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme. Both countries have decided to develop an Individual Partnership Action Plan, whereby each of the partners outlines specific individual goals for their relations with NATO in areas such as defence reform, defence institution building and interoperability. In all discussions there was a broad recognition that NATO and the countries of the region face common threats – terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, failed states and the illegal trafficking of narcotics and that NATO can assist the countries of the region to develop the capabilities to deal with these threats.