Thanks to N. Nazarbayev's decision Semipalatinsk became powerful symbol of hope, Ban Ki-moon
14:40, 12 October 2011
TANA. October 12. KAZINFORM /Askar Bimendin/ UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent his video address to the participants of the Forum For a Nuclear Weapons Free World in Astana.
"First of all I would like to thank President Nazarbayev. This meeting once again illustrates his global leadership in the nuclear non-proliferation process," Ban Ki-moon said.
"Dear participants! I will never forget my trip to Semipalatinsk last year. Over the decades it was an epicenter of cold war. Thanks to your courageous decision made 20 years ago Semipalatinsk has become a powerful symbol of hope, hope for ultimate cessation of nuclear tests, hope for a nuclear-free world," Ban Ki-Moon said.