The Secretary-General welcomes the High-Level Meeting on Central Asia held today at United Nations Headquarters. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General, with the participation of countries of Central Asia and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Mr. Miroslav Jenca. UNDP Assistant Administrator Ms. Cihan Sultanoðlu also delivered remarks.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways for the United Nations, and UNRCCA in particular, to assist Central Asia in addressing emerging challenges in the region more effectively. The discussion focused on key trends in the region and highlighted the usefulness of preventive diplomacy in Central Asia. The Secretary-General welcomes that participants expressed their continued support for United Nations efforts in the region and for the current activities and future plans of UNRCCA.