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PEOPLE’S DAILY ONLINE (China), By Marat TAZHIN, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Kazakhstan, March 30, 2009, KAZAKH FM: TREATY ON THE NUCLEAR-WEAPONS-FREE-ZONE IN CENTRAL ASIA A REAL CONTRIBUTION


On 21st March 2009, the Treaty on the Nuclear-Weapons-Free-Zone in Central Asia - signed on September 8th 2006 in Semei - came into force.

Two years ago, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed the historic document – the Treaty on Nuclear-Weapons-Free-Zone in Central Asia - in the city of Semei, Kazakhstan.

This document was the apotheosis of five Central Asian countries' nine-years-long effort to create a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone (NWFZ).

On February 27th 1997 the Heads of States of five countries signed the Almaty Declaration in which they approved the creation of a NWFZ in Central Asia in the light of environmental problems caused by the USSR's nuclear activity. Demonstrating real political will and consistency, these countries contributed to the strengthening of a non-proliferation regime as well as regional - and global - security.

It is highly symbolic that the signing of the NWFZ Treaty took place in Eastern Kazakhstan – the area that suffered most from nuclear tests. By signing the document, the military nuclear deployment that started back in August 1949 in the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing area, at last came to a logical end.

From the very start of the independence period Kazakhstan declared a peaceful foreign policy directed at the creation of mutually confident relationships and collaborations with all countries and international organizations in the name of global security, stability and prosperity.

On August 29th 1991 the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, signed the historic decree to close the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing area. This decision was welcomed by all Kazakhstani people - some of who had suffered terribly from four decades of nuclear testing.

From the very beginning of the atomic age - and particularly after nuclear weapon use in Hiroshima and Nagasaki - it was obvious that such weapons carried a very serious security threat and posed a threat to civilization as well. In this regard, the prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction became the principal issue in the creation of measures to ensure regional and global security.

Today the correctness and wisdom of President Nazarbayev's decision is obvious.

His resolution became a first step on the road to gaining nuclear-free-state status for Kazakhstan. Moreover, it started the global process of stopping nuclear testing - thereby removing the threat of nuclear contamination for millions of people across the globe.

We announced to the world that the foundations of our young country's security would not be a nuclear weapon stockpile. Instead, the solidarity of all Kazakh people, stable economic and political development created a reliable foundation for a well-balanced and constructive foreign policy. This strategic course was realized rigorously by diplomatic effort.

In Lisbon on May 23rd 1992 Kazakhstan entered into a commitment to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NNPT) as a country not possessing nuclear weapons.

This step consolidated Kazakhstan's voluntary renunciation of the world's fourth largest nuclear-missile arsenal.

The NNPT was approved by the United Nations' General Assembly on June 12th 1968 and presented for signing on July 1st 1968 by Moscow, Washington and London.

It came into force on March 5th 1970 after deposit of instruments of ratification by state-depositories which included the USSR, USA, Great Britain, and 40 other countries (France and China signed the Treaty in 1992). Today there are 180 NNPT member-states.

NNPT has a special role in non-proliferation regime guarantee. Its mission is to strengthen the security of all countries through the prevention of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon technologies proliferation; to encourage the collaboration in use of nuclear energy for peaceful goals and prevent - under strict international guarantees - all misuse in this field.

This Treaty corresponds to the multilateral statement - including the description of the liability of states possessing nuclear weapons - in relation to nuclear disarmament.

The Resolution of the UN Security Council (dated June 19th 1968) and identical statements by three nuclear powers – the USSR, USA and Great Britain – on the issue of security guarantees for non-nuclear-states-treaty members are important parts of NNPT.

Control over nuclear weapons proliferation is implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Kazakhstan became a member of this Agency on February 14th 1994. And on June 26th 1994 Kazakhstan signed the Agreement on Guarantees with IAEA. According to this Agreement, all nuclear objects are under the IAEA's guarantee - and the nuclear activity of Kazakhstan was implemented in accordance with IAEA rules and standards.

The Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan ratified the NNPT on December 13th 1993.

Russia, the USA and Great Britain signed the Memorandum on Provision of Security Guarantees to Kazakhstan in connection to its joining NNPT as a non-nuclear state on December 5th 1994.

The signing of this document was an acknowledgement by the global community that Kazakhstan had fully and rigorously implemented its liabilities on withdrawal of nuclear weapons from state territory.

Such guarantees were subsequently extended to Kazakhstan by China and France.

By becoming a member of the NNPT, Kazakhstan strictly adheres to obligations under the Agreement. We are in favor of steady and gradual nuclear disarmament through the implementation of commitments by all NNPT Member States - both nuclear and non-nuclear. Conferences to review the NNPT are held every five years.

During the NNPT Review Conference of May 11th 1995 in New York, important decisions were taken on its indefinite extension (to increase the effectiveness of the Treaty) and on the role of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and the establishment of a better monitoring mechanism of the Treaty's implementation.

Kazakhstan unequivocally voted for the indefinite extension of the Treaty.

However, during follow-up Conferences (of the NNPT Parties) in 2000 and 2005, further progress could not be reached. Differences between nuclear and non-nuclear countries have proved insurmountable and a consensus on the provisions of the Treaty could not be reached.

As an active participant of the disarmament process, we regret to note the stagnation of the nuclear disarmament process; the international community has failed to address the issues of disarmament and non-proliferation in the absence of consensus and political will.

As a member of the international community, Kazakhstan hopes that the next NNPT Review Conference in 2010 will take decisions aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Treaty.

Our country fully supports the Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, adopted by the Conference of the NNPT Parties in 1995 (and endorsed at the NNPT Conference in 2000), which incorporated a provision encouraging the establishment of Nuclear-Weapons-Free-Zones as a priority.

The establishment of NWFZs is one of the most effective means of achieving the principle goal of global nuclear security. The five existing zones now include more than 100 countries.

The first zone was established in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1967 – an event that anticipated new developments in regional arms control. After ratification by Cuba in 2002, the Latin America and Caribbean NWFZ was a reality throughout the region.

After this - three more agreements were signed establishing zones such as South Pacific (The Treaty of Rarotonga, 1985), Southeast Asia (Bangkok Treaty, 1995) and Africa (Pelindaba Treaty, 1996). Through these treaties, all populated parts of the Southern Hemisphere have nuclear-free status.

An important factor in the success of the initiative to establish a NWFZ in Central Asia (CANWFZ) is that it was developed with the active assistance and (under the auspices of) the United Nations. At various times, a number of UN General Assembly resolutions were adopted in support of the idea of establishing a Central Asian Zone. In October 2006 and again in 2008 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in support of CANWFZ.

According to the Semipalatinsk Treaty States all signatories pledge to ban the production, acquisition and deployment of nuclear weapons (and their components) and other nuclear explosive devices in the region. This Treaty does not prohibit the development of national peaceful nuclear programmes.

The CANWFZ has several unique features that distinguish it from other similar zones in the world:

• None of the existing nuclear-weapon-free zones were countries that once wielded an arsenal of nuclear weapons


• Only CANWFZ is a territory completely surrounded by land and is fully located in the Northern Hemisphere, and only CANWFZ directly borders States with nuclear- weapons

• For the first time ever a NWFZ contract includes commitments that should be followed by member countries; signatories must abide fully by the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test Ban and the IAEA Additional Protocol. In addition, the contract obliges Central Asian states to meet international requirements regarding the safety of nuclear installations

• The CANWFZ Treaty calls for rehabilitation activities support in the field of the environment affected by the implementation of nuclear programmes during the Cold War.

The signing and ratification of the CANWFZ is a logical continuation of the initiatives of President Nursultan Nazarbayev in the strengthening of regional and international security.

In conclusion, I am very pleased to note that the Treaty is a real and significant contribution to the region in realizing the objectives of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the strengthening of regional and international security.