Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted the secretaries of the security councils of Central Asian countries on Thursday, the press service of the Kazakh leader said.

This was the first meeting of the secretaries of the security councils of the Central Asian countries. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that it was intended to become an effective platform for combining efforts to prevent external and internal challenges and threats, as well as developing the necessary response measures.

Latest challenges and threats are transboundary in nature, so countering them requires combining common efforts, the President of Kazakhstan noted.

“First of all, we are talking about the fight against international extremism and terrorism, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking. In this regard, Afghanistan must be the focus of our common attention. Complex multidirectional processes are taking place in this country. It must be admitted that there are certain signs of stabilization and revival of the economic situation in this country. On the other hand, there remain high risks associated with the activity of international terrorist organizations, as evidenced by the bloody terrorist attack in the Moscow region,” he said.

The Kazakh leader noted that one of the strategic tasks at the present stage is the active involvement of Afghanistan in regional ties.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for “to jointly resist outside forces that seek to pit the countries of the region against each other and divide them.” “I want to assure you that we resolutely reject such approaches and attempts. In general, our countries do not and should not have any issues on which we could not find mutually acceptable solutions. I am convinced that only the synergy of common actions and mutual support can open the way to the prosperity of our fraternal peoples,” he said.

The event was also attended by the security aide of the president Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Viktor makhmudov as well as the Secretary of the Security Council of Kazakhstan Gizat Nurdauletov, the Secretary of the Security Council of Kyrgyzstan Marat Imankulov, the Secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan Nasrullo Makhmudzoda and the military attaché of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Kazakhstan Annamyrat Yagmyrov.