Closure of Semey Testing Site was the first message of independent Kazakhstan to the mankind, President

Dear countrymen! Ladies and gentlemen! 20 years ago here on the Semipalatinsk land the last nuclear explosion thundered on the one of the largest ranges in the world. The active Nevada-Semei movement led by Oljas Suleimenov promoted put an end to the nuclear tests. As a result of all-national efforts in 1989 it was possible to stop 11 of 18 planned nuclear tests in Semipalatinsk testing site. In total there were 456 nuclear test explosions made on our land, the total capacity of which was 2,500 times more than that of the bombing in Hiroshima. The last nuclear explosion in the history of Kazakhstan was made on October 19, 1989. Twenty years have passed from that historical moment, but we still feel the irreplaceable damage made to our people. As the result of the nuclear tests the people who were exposed and their children still continue experiencing the dreadful effect of their consequences. The total number of Kazakh people who were subject to the radiation exceeds one million. Only the local zone of ecological disaster around the Semipalatinsk test site comprises 300 thousands square kilometers. We conduct continuous work of social rehabilitation of the people and suffered territories. We have spent about 34 billion Tenge to improve the area. Implementation of the state program of complex solution of the test site consequences allowed to improve the ecological condition of the region. I believe we must create a cluster of radiological medicine here in Semei that will unite the efforts of medical centers of Kazakhstan in diagnostics and treatment of oncological diseases caused by radiation. Kazakhstan was the first CIS country to have joined the Treaty of nuclear nonproliferation and the Treaty of universal ban of nuclear tests. 15 years ago the last nuclear warheads were fully moved out of Kazakhstan, and the nuclear superpowers signed the Memorandum of security guarantees for our country. In 2006 in Semipalatinsk the Treaty of creation of the Central Asian nuclear free zone was signed at the initiative of Kazakhstan. I believe we should suggest declaration of the 29th of August as the World Day of Refusal from the Weapons of Mass Destruction, as 18 years ago in August 29 the nuclear testing site was closed. During the last forty years we have not given omnitude to the Treaty of refusal from weapons of mass destruction. The world community should create a new universal Treaty of total nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. The Treaty should also prohibit the improvement of existing nuclear weapons of all types. Otherwise we will not be able to avoid a new technological cycle of nuclear race. We urge nuclear powerful countries to show the responsibility before the world community and to fulfill their obligations of quantitative and qualitative reduction of their nuclear armory. In this connection we welcome the statement of US President Barak Obama about the necessity of total termination of nuclear weapons by all countries of the world. Kazakhstan also supports the recently voiced initiatives of the Russian and U.S. Presidents about nuclear disarmament and reduction of strategic offensive arms. The problem of international security will be one of the main priorities of the future chairmanship of Kazakhstan in OSCE.