Kazakhstan's decision on abandoning nuclear weapons - start of new era in int'l relations

The meeting was attended by well-known Russian and Kazakh experts in the field of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, reps of diplomatic missions and international organizations.

Speaking of Kazakhstan's initiatives in the sphere of non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament, Galim Orazbakov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation, informed that Kazakhstan has taken a firm position on the issue to take further decisive action to eliminate the nuclear threat.

The Ambassador noted that 22 years ago after closing Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, the young Republic has proved to the world community the existence of a voluntary renunciation of nuclear weapons. Eighteen years later the UN General Assembly adopted the date of August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests .

" The long-term trilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan, Russia and the United States in this project is a shining example that acting together in a spirit of trust and mutual understanding we can make our world safer and better", said Roman Vasilenko, Ambassador-at-Large of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Kazakhstan.

During the discussion the participants focused their attention on the critical importance of the date of August 29, the International Day against Nuclear Tests, for the international community which was established by the UN under the initiative of Kazakhstan. This date has a symbolic meaning for our country as 22 years ago President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree on permanentl shut down of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.