Astana, 20 October. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit for the first time, the press service of the Transport Ministry's Civil Aviation Committee said; it is also his first visit to Central Asia.
Salazar, who came with his wife, was met at the airport by Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev. The main item on the programme is ICAO Security Week 2026, which is taking place in Astana on 20–22 October. Kazakhstan is hosting it for the first time; it brings together heads of aviation authorities, representatives of international organisations, airlines and airports, and industry experts.
ICAO is a specialised UN agency created under the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and headquartered in Montreal. It develops aviation safety and security standards on which states base their rules, and its audits affect where and how a country's airlines can fly. The acronym stands for International Civil Aviation Organization.
The Civil Aviation Committee believes that holding the week in Astana and the Secretary General's visit reflect the trust of the international aviation community and recognition of Kazakhstan's achievements in civil aviation. The week is held with the support of the Transport Ministry, which expects it to strengthen international cooperation in aviation security and help develop common approaches to countering threats to civil aviation.
In ICAO documents, aviation security means protecting civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference such as hijackings, terrorist attacks and carrying dangerous items on board, as distinct from aviation safety, which concerns technology, piloting and air traffic management.
Background: Sputnik Kazakhstan also reported the visit: the ICAO Secretary General has visited not only Kazakhstan but Central Asia for the first time.
List of sources used: Interfax, Tsargrad Kazakhstan, Kursiv, BAQ.kz, Sputnik Kazakhstan
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
