KAZAKHSTAN
“Kazakhstan: Building a Nuclear Safe World”

at the presentation of the Photo Exhibition
STATEMENT
by H.E. Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov,
Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan
(UN, 28 April 2016) | PHOTO Album
Dear Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I cordially welcome you all to this exhibition which presents photographs, portraying highlights of my country from 1949 till 2016 in its odyssey from being then the second largest nuclear test site in the world to becoming a globally recognized advocate for peace and nuclear disarmament. In 1991 we took the momentous decision to close the nuclear test site, and renounce the fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the world. Kazakhstan, since then has shared its lessons learned with others. The momentum of its own Anti-Nuclear Movement, the "Nevada Semipalatinsk", sparked global advocacy and the closure of test sites in other parts of the world.
In keeping with the same tradition, this year, which is the 25th Anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, Kazakhstan is considering establishing a Global Anti-Nuclear Movement as a noble mission for humanity and to save the planet.
At the recently held Washington Fourth Nuclear Security Summit, my President Nursultan Nazarbayev, announced a new security paradigm document Manifesto “The World. The 21st Century” he authored warning world leaders about a possible apocalypse if heed was not paid to the elimination of thousands of nuclear weapons and the modernization in the context of a revival of a dangerous arms race. Hence, the Manifesto is an important milestone which expresses a momentous stand on the issues of war and peace. This has now become a document both of the General Assembly and the Security Council (A/70/818 and S/2016/317, respectively) issued by the Secretariat of the United Nations on 18 April 2016 in all six languages of the UN. Copies are available for pick up from the table by the entrance.
We see far into the horizon for our planet’s salvation, and soon hope to propose Plan UN-100 in order to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world in 2045, in UN’s centennial year.

We have organized this display to demonstrate the power of strength in unity and collaboration. We were burdened with 1400 nuclear warheads in Kazakhstan. And thus the story of Kazakhstan is also a story of international partnership together with two of the world’s largest nuclear powers, over a multiyear project of dismantling and transporting all the nuclear material to Russia, with US financial and technical support. It meant permanently sealing dozens of test tunnels at Degelen Mountain, in the former test site. The permanent security of these infrastructure was completed by October 2012, as verified by Russian and US experts.
We consider it a highly successful example of the trilateral cooperation representing shared commitment. This has been unprecedented in terms of actions to combat the threat of nuclear proliferation, through a joint commitment made by the Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and the United States of America.
Against the background of the failure of the NPT 2015 RevCon, and the impasse in the Conference on Disarmament, the example of Kazakhstan proves that world powers, despite their complicated bilateral relations on a number of regional/political issues, can continue to cooperate even in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, as it did over Climate Change.
Today with the help of international partners Kazakhstan is making pioneering efforts in the spheres of nuclear research, innovation, safety, industry and medical advances with some of the state-of-the art technology to share with the rest of the world. We also actively cooperate with all the regional and political groups, and especially LLDCs, LDCs and SIDS, to set the pace for nuclear responsibility for our common humankind.
We will establish in 2017 in Eastern Kazakhstan the IAEA International Low-Enriched Uranium Bank with the surveillance of the Agency and thus prevent nuclear non-proliferation and terrorism and thank IAEA for its excellent cooperation.
Together with Japan, Kazakhstan co-chairs the Article XIV Conference of the CTBT. Joint statement of President of Kazakhstan and Prime minister of Japan was issued recently, calling for early entry into force of the CTBT.
We have been able to obtain negative security assurances from the five nuclear weapon states for the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
All of these undeniable achievements would be impossible without partnership between the great powers, among Central Asian countries, international assistance and cooperation.
There is nothing that cannot be achieved if we work together believing in our common future and shared destiny. Indeed, another name of this exhibition, could well be – United with others for Global Security.
Original format of the Statement (pdf)
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KAZAKHSTAN: UNITED FOR GLOBAL SECURITY - Poster of the UN Photo Exhibit |
Deputy Permanent Rep., Barlybay Sadykov of Kazakhstan to the UN.
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PHOTO Album of the Exhibit
Special Thanks to: H.E. Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov,
Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN
for his shared statement with The Light Millennium