Bike for Peace dedicated book to 30th anniversary of Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site closure

The association's founder Tore Nærland has pointed out that the book is on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Bike for Peace and the 30th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. The book has been published in Norwegian, and an English edition is currently being prepared, the Kazakh MFA’s press service reports.

«In this book, we tell a lot about Kazakhstan, including the bike ride Beijing-Almaty-Moscow-Bergen in 2011. The ride was in support of the victims of the nuclear test site near the city of Semey (formerly Semipalatinsk). That year we had a separate bike ride Astana-Semey-Almaty. The book contains not only an interesting and informative story but also many great pictures», said Tore Nærland presenting the book.

The book also tells about the bike ride Washington-New York in support of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in which Kazakhstan's Olympic champion Vladimir Smirnov took part.

«Kazakhstan's example is crucial for the movement against nuclear weapons and the whole world. Your country has dismantled its entire nuclear arsenal. For this, we are grateful to Kazakhstan's First President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has also presented several important initiatives to rid the world of nuclear weapons,» underlined the leader of Bike for Peace.

The book's presentation took place as part of the Bike for Peace ride across Norway's southern provinces with the participation of politicians, diplomats, mayors, and the general public.

Briefings were held in Arendal, Tvedestrand, and Risør, at which the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Norway, Yerkin Akhinzhanov, spoke. The Kazakh diplomat told about the historical significance of the decision to eliminate the world's fourth-largest nuclear arsenal and close the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, a decision taken 30 years ago by the First President of independent Kazakhstan - Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev. The participants of the meetings got acquainted with the most critical milestones in Kazakhstan's development as an independent nation over the last 30 years and the ongoing political, economic, and social reforms in the country. The audience was especially interested in the book «Abai's Poems and Words of Wisdom» (selected works by the Kazakh writer Abai Kunanbaev), which was recently published in Norwegian and was also presented during the bike ride.

On the International Day against Nuclear Tests (29th August), Bike for Peace will arrange a bike ride from Bern to Geneva.