UN, Kazakhstan advance shared goals with Guterres visit to Almaty

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled to visit the Republic of Kazakhstan on August 3, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

During the visit, Guterres and Tokayev will meet in Almaty for bilateral talks. They are also expected to jointly visit the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, according to reports by Kazakh media.

The idea to establish this regional centre in Kazakhstan’s southern capital was originally proposed by President Tokayev during the second meeting of Central Asia-European Union leaders in June 2023. The initiative gained formal support through a UN General Assembly resolution adopted unanimously on March 3, 2025.

In a telephone conversation held in March this year, Tokayev and Guterres discussed key issues related to cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UN. President Tokayev emphasised the importance of the resolution establishing the regional SDG centre in Almaty, and the two leaders also addressed further steps to institutionalise the centre’s operations.

Secretary-General Guterres commended Kazakhstan’s contributions to international peacekeeping and its broader role in promoting global security and sustainable development.

It is worth recalling that Guterres previously visited Almaty in the summer of 2024, where he toured the UN office. During the same trip, he participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Astana.

By Tamilla Hasanova