WORLD> Asia-Pacific
Asia needs stability, development most: Kazakh president
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-17 13:52

ALMATY -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said on Thursday that what Asia needs most is stability and development, which interact with each other.

During a meeting with the delegates attending the 7th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev said that Asia is shifting its products to high-tech categories, and has become a financial power in the world.

Currently, Asian countries account for one third of the world's gross products and 40 percent of the world's investment flows to Asia, he said.

However, the rapid economic development in the continent is under the threat of many negative factors such as terrorism, cross-border crimes, deteriorating ecology and epidemic diseases, the president added.

He further elaborated that as it's known to all, without stability, economy would in no way develop, and the realization of social and political stability depends on economic development.

He noted that what Asia needs most now is stability and development, and that Asian countries should take systematic measures to jointly deal with the world financial crisis.

He said his country would do everything possible to help foster the stable development of the Asian continent.

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue is currently the only official dialogue and cooperation mechanism that involves the entire Asia. Its first foreign ministers' meeting was held in Thailand in 2002.