UN COUNTERTERRORISM COMMITTEE MEETS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev addressed a meeting of the UN Counterterrorism Committee in Almaty on 26 January, agencies reported. Interfax-Kazakhstan quoted the president as saying, "The existing level of terrorist activity in regions that are relatively close to Kazakhstan makes it necessary to keep the security system in a state of heightened readiness." Nazarbaev also noted that Kazakhstan's parliament is preparing to vote on a draft law to combat extremism. The meeting focused on ways to undermine the financing of terrorism, the significance of multilateral and bilateral accords, and the security of airports and ports, Kazinform reported. Nazarbaev took advantage of the session to hold a number of meetings, speaking with UN Counterterrorism Committee Chairman Andrei Denisov, CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo, and Collective Security Treaty Organization Secretary-General Nikolai Bordyuzha.