4 June 2002
ALMATY HOSTS SECURITY SUMMIT
The presidents of 16 member states of the Conference on Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) -- Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Palestinians, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan-- gathered in Almaty to discuss Asian security issues. They signed so-called Almaty Act - a document which "condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and any support or acceptance of it, and the failure to condemn it directly." The Act also identifies "separatism as one of the main threats and challenges to security and stability" in Asia. The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was founded on the initiative of Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The conflict between India and Pakistan was the main issue discussed at the summit. Participants called on the leaders of Pakistan and India to stop any further escalation of tension between them. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the "explosive situation" in South Asia threatens to affect the security of "the whole Eurasian continent."