President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Receives President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric

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During the meeting, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted the unique nature of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which operates under a neutral mandate, and emphasized that humanitarian assistance must not be politicized.

- The International Committee of the Red Cross plays a very important role in the global humanitarian system. We highly appreciate your contribution to strengthening the norms of international humanitarian law and believe that your organization, along with other respected international institutions, makes a significant contribution to promoting universal human values, particularly in regions where people are in need of support, - he said.

Kazakhstan is one of the six initiating states of the Global Initiative to galvanize political commitment to international humanitarian law. In this context, the parties discussed preparations for the High-Level Conference on Humanity in War, which will be held in Jordan later this year.

Mirjana Spoljaric expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for its support of the humanitarian activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross. According to her, the longstanding constructive dialogue between Kazakhstan and the ICRC has been developing productively since the 1990s.

- As You rightly noted, the support of states is of crucial importance. All countries are parties to the Geneva Conventions. However, their strength largely depends on how firmly states are prepared to uphold and support these norms, - said the ICRC President.

The interlocutors also discussed current issues on the international and humanitarian agenda. Both sides reaffirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening the partnership between Kazakhstan and the International Committee of the Red Cross.