Nursultan Nazarbayev: Global peace and nuclear security

As the President noted in his article, the flow of events in the new century leads one to see the old mechanisms of security in the new light. Firstly it concerns nuclear security. Whether a small group of politicians heading nuclear-powered countries is able to advance to more predictable situation with weapons of mass destruction? How is it possible to establish efficient control over nuclear technologies and, in the meantime, guarantee the right of sovereign states to the development of the peaceful atom? How is it possible to ensure true equality in the nuclear sector? How fully the potential of the diplomacy is used in addressing issues of non-proliferation?

I hope these and other issues will be the subject of serious, frank and fruitful opinion exchange at the coming Global Summit on Nuclear Security in Washington.

Nuclear non-proliferation is an imperative of the modern epoch

The threat from uncontrolled extension of the club of nuclear powers is one of the most important problems of the XXI century. If the world community does not show the political will, the process of extension of the range of states possessing nuclear weapons can finally become inconvertible.

The situation in the field of non-proliferation is far from ideal. The Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty disappoints, as long as it is asymmetrical and provides sanctions to non-nuclear states only. It does not contain explicit schemes of response by the IAEA and the UN to the facts of the states' evasion of admission of international inspectors to nuclear facilities. Moreover, the Treaty allows its participants to withdraw from the list of signatories without consequences. All these circumstances reduce the efficiency of the treaty.

Impartial analysis proves the fact that Kazakhstan is an ideal candidate for possible establishment of International Training Center for Nuclear Security. All necessary field exercises and theoretical seminars could be held at the Center. The Center could strengthen the potential of Central Asia in the field of modernization of the export and internal control, accounting and physical protection of nuclear material.

From moratorium to total nuclear test ban

The issue of total nuclear test ban is of special importance for Kazakh people who experienced the horror of nuclear tests. Following the peaceful foreign policy course Kazakhstan successfully cooperates with the IAEA, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Krakow Initiative, the Zangger Committee and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. The National Commission on Non-Proliferation of the Mass Destruction Weapons was established in Kazakhstan in order to completely eliminate the possibility of nuclear seepage.

Kazakhstan pays special attention to the cooperation with the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CNTBT) on the issues of development of the International Monitoring System and methods of on-site inspection. Integrated field experiment on on-site inspection was held on the territory of the former Semipalatinsk polygon in 2008 within the frameworks of this cooperation.

I appeal to all states, which are responsible for enactment of the CNTBT, to show political will, sign and ratify this important document. Kazakhstan appreciates the decision of Barack Obama to reconsider the approaches of the former administrations to the document and submit it for the Senate's consideration. We believe that ratification of this historic document by the Senate will induce other stats to follow the USA.

The development of peaceful nuclear programs - an unalienable right of sovereign states

Taking legal and vitally important for all mankind control measures in the sphere of nuclear security, the international community should not disregard the global trends in the field of energy and high technologies. Thus, it is needed a reasonable balance between the global efforts on combating nuclear terrorism and legitimate from the standpoint of international law nuclear programs.

To my mind, sanctions alone - even if they are effective - are not enough here. It is impossible to push into the corner the whole nations and states, depriving them of their legal rights to the peaceful atom and hurting their national pride. Kazakhstan has been and remains a strong supporter of the principle of all countries' equal access to the peaceful atom. Therefore, Kazakhstan together with Russia is taking part in establishing International Uranium Enrichment Centre (IUEC) in Angarsk. And we absolutely understand and support the idea on creation of the International Nuclear Fuel Bank under the aegis of the IAEA. Once again I would like to declare with all responsibility that Kazakhstan is ready not only to host the bank, but ensure proper storage of nuclear fuel.

Kazakhstan will never push the boundaries between the peaceful nuclear program and military one. Reduction of nuclear arsenals is a real progress toward nuclear-free world.

In this context Kazakhstan puts high hopes on the efforts of Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev to conclude a new pact on strategic arms.

It's time to comprehend the experience of nuclear weapon free zones - South Pacific, Latin America, South-East Asia and Africa, Central Asia. It may seem incredible: nuclear-free zones have to wait years for recognition by the official nuclear states. At the same time the global powers repeatedly declare on their sincere desire for a nuclear-free world. Thus, I suggest immediately discussing the issue of the international legal status of nuclear-free zones, providing both security guarantees and corresponding preferences to the participating states.

I consider it is necessary to focus attention of the world community, including the participants of the April Nuclear Security Summit, on several major points.

The first. Nuclear-free world is an ambitious goal that can not be achieved in the shortest historical period. However, this is no reason to put off till tomorrow what can be done today regarding the issues of nonproliferation, nuclear disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The second. The prospects of nuclear-free world depend on the world order that is forming now. I am convinced that the true multipolarity is possible only if the democracy, as a tool for obtaining the consent of various parties, covers the sphere of international relations.

The third. The real progress toward the ideals of nuclear-free world depends first of all on official nuclear powers. They must serve as a model for other countries in the issues of nonproliferation and disarmament avoiding the use of double standards.

The fourth. Nuclear weapons free world can become a reality only in case of joining efforts by all countries and people regardless of whether they have nuclear technologies or not.

The fifth. Voluntarily renounced the world's fourth largest nuclear arsenal Kazakhstan have been and will be a reliable partner of the world community in the issues of non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy. Our policy on these issues remains balanced, consistent and defendant.

70 years ago Winston Churchill said 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.' Fortunately, the world today is not an arena of nuclear conflicts. But it is an arena of deep contradictions. The settlement of these contradictions is in hands of few people who make decisions.