Kazakhstan has welcomed the official announcement of the final results of the presidential elections in Afghanistan by the country's Independent Election Commission, pursuant to which Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has been elected President and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the Head of the Executive Body of Afghanistan.
The Kazakh foreign ministry said that the election marked the first peaceful transfer of power in the country and described it as an important step towards establishing an independent and democratic Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan said, "We share common appreciation by the international community of a decision of the Afghan people to move forward and build a stable state and society despite the difficulties of political and economic nature. We appreciate the aspiration of the Afghan people to restore its statehood despite threats to the security of the country and to the lives of many Afghans. We hope that the Government of National Unity will use the mandate issued by the Afghan people to implement major reforms aimed at improving the well-being of Afghanistan's citizens, and the President of the country will be the guarantor of the Constitution for the benefit of all Afghans who stand for building peace and social progress."
It further stated, "The Republic of Kazakhstan has repeatedly reaffirmed its position that reflects our support for peaceful environment for a broad national dialogue for reconciliation, establishing a permanent negotiating process between different political forces and public organizations in Afghanistan. Kazakhstan, as a neighbouring country and a responsible international partner, is interested in the development of Afghanistan as a friendly and steadily developing peaceful state for the sake of cooperation and prosperity of the entire region.
