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Foreign Minister Idrissov Time to ban nuclear weapons testing forever BY ERLAN IDRISSOV, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF KAZAKHSTAN The story of Kazakhstan's independence is intricately linked to the banning of nuclear testing and the renunciation of nuclear weapons. On 29 August 1991, Kazakhstan became the first country in the world to close a nuclear test site on its territory. The decision by President Nursultan Nazarbayev to close the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site where the Soviet Union carried out more than 450 nuclear weapon tests was welcomed by the people of Kazakhstan, and helped lead to the country's declaration of independence on 16 December 1991. OUR CLEAR CHOICE would damage, rather than bring, security It is no surprise that the Kazakh When the Soviet Union collapsed in and prestige. people were so strongly supportive of 1991, Kazakhstan inherited the fourth- the decision to shut the Semipalatinsk largest nuclear arsenal in the world: Since its independence, Kazakhstan site. The tests, which took place between more than 100 ballistic missiles and has been vigorously promoting 1949 and 1989, had the combined more than 1,000 nuclear warheads, the principles and ideals of nuclear explosive power of 2,500 atomic bombs capable of reaching any point on Earth. disarmament and working tirelessly to rid dropped on Hiroshima. The fall-out from What is less well known is that we also the world of the nuclear threat. We are a these tests – of which over 100 were found ourselves, if it had been our wish, founding member of the 2009 Nuclear- above ground – affected 1.5 million with the infrastructure and expertise to Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, which people and led to radioactive pollution maintain and deploy this arsenal. outlaws nuclear weapons and their testing to various degrees of an area roughly the in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, size of today's Germany. This was not the choice that Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan made. Instead, my country It has left a erriblet legacy. A opted for full nuclear disarmament and Through our recently signed generation later, deaths, deformities active participation in all non-proliferation agreement with the International Atomic and cancer from radiation remain all too treaties and regimes. This decision may Energy Agency to host its Low Enriched common in this region. My home town seem surprising, given Kazakhstan's Uranium Bank, we will establish a Karkaralinsk, some 400 kilometres west unique geopolitical position between two guaranteed stock of nuclear fuel to ensure of the test site, has not been spared. major nuclear powers. But those familiar that there is no disruption to countries' For us and many other communities, with my young country, its people and supplies and to help them develop the threat from nuclear weapons is not leadership understand that Kazakhstan civilian nuclear power while meeting all abstract but all too real. believed the retention of nuclear weapons non-proliferation requirements. 7 CTBTO SPECTRUM 24 | SEPTEMBER 2015 Kazakhstan has also played an » Those who know to calls on world leaders to formally and active role in the Nuclear Security permanently renounce nuclear testing. Summits in Washington, D.C. my country and its (2010), Seoul (2012) and The Hague READY FOR VERIFICATION (2014), which aim to strengthen the people understand international framework to prevent that Kazakhstan The ban on nuclear tests is underpinned nuclear materials from falling into the by an impressive verification system, hands of terrorists. sees neither security which is already largely operational even before the Treaty has entered into force. A KEY DATE: 29 AUGUST nor prestige in Kazakhstan contributes to this system nuclear weapons.« through five monitoring stations. Data are Our clear immediate priority in the transmitted directly to the Comprehensive field of nuclear disarmament and Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization non-proliferation, however, is the maintaining and/or developing weapons (CTBTO) in Vienna and to the Kazakhstan nuclear test ban. In 2009, at the of mass destruction, we have been able to National Data Centre, which also uses the initiative of Kazakhstan, the United invest in roads, hospitals and universities. information for the purposes of disaster Nations General Assembly adopted warning and scientific research. a resolution proclaiming 29 August The closure of the Semipalatinsk as the International Day against nuclear test site was followed by the In addition to a series of CTBTO field Nuclear Tests. The date has a deep shutting down of other major test sites in tests and training events, Kazakhstan hosted symbolic significance as it is not only Nevada (USA), Novaya Zemlya (Russia) the organization's first full-scale on-site the day on which the Semipalatinsk and elsewhere. These closures together inspection simulation, the Integrated Field site was closed but it also marks the paved the way for the negotiation of the Exercise (IFE08), at the former Semipalatinsk anniversary of the Soviet Union's first CTBT in the mid-1990s. nuclear test site in 2008. Building on this nuclear weapons test in 1949. experience, the CTBTO carried out its second SHARED DETERMINATION Integrated Field Exercise in Jordan in 2014. Since its first commemoration This simulation, in which experts from in 2010, the International Day This year's International Day against Kazakhstan participated, demonstrated against Nuclear Tests has helped raise Nuclear Tests was particularly convincingly that the CTBTO has now public awareness about the terrible poignant because August also saw the mastered all components of the Treaty's consequences of nuclear testing and 70th commemoration of the bombings verification regime. the need to ban them once and for all of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Our two through the entry into force of the countries' experiences explain why The CTBTO has clearly delivered. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Japan and Kazakhstan share the same Now the ball is in the court of the eight (CTBT). It is also an annual reminder determination to strive for a nuclear- remaining countries. We hope that of the importance of maintaining weapon-free world. This is why it is also Kazakhstan's history and example will international efforts to continue nuclear natural that our nations will jointly chair inspire these nations not only to embrace disarmament. The ultimate goal must be this year's CTBT Article XIV Conference, the CTBT, but also to turn their backs to rid the world of its Cold War legacy the biennial mechanism for facilitating on these terrible weapons and make our of nuclear weapons and the outdated the Treaty's entry into force. Together world and future safer. psychology of nuclear deterrence that with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, underpins their continuing existence. who himself is from Hiroshima, we will BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE This is a goal that has no doubt become spare no effort to spearhead international even more critical in view of the current efforts to advance the CTBT's entry into ERLAN IDRISSOV was appointed Minister of Foreign trends in international relations. force during our two-year chairmanship. Affairs of Kazakhstan in 2012, a position he also held from 1999 to At this year's events to mark the In addition to President 2002. Idrissov began his diplomatic International Day against Nuclear Tests Nazarbayev's efforts to end nuclear career in 1985. Previously he served in Astana, Kazakhstan, we took stock of testing by engaging at the highest as First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN, the 24 years that have passed since the political level with the eight countries Head of the Americas Department at closure of the Semipalatinsk test site. that have yet to sign and/or ratify the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, We noted with great satisfaction that the CTBT, in 2012 the President launched Ambassador-at-large, Adviser to the intervening years have proved that we a global education and online petition President of Kazakhstan, and First made the right decision. As we hoped, campaign, the ATOM Project which Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Idrissov was also Ambassador to the Kazakhstan continues to enjoy peaceful stands for "Abolish Testing: Our Mission." UK, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and relations with all of its neighbours. So far, more than 200,000 people from the United States. Instead of squandering our resources on around the world have added their names 8 CTBTO SPECTRUM 24 | SEPTEMBER 2015.
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