#Kazakhstan - Ways to achieve a world free of #NuclearWeapons discussed in Brussels

A panel discussion, Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons: Ambition of Kazakhstan, took place at the European Institute for Asian Studies.

Representatives of the EU institutions, international organizations, the diplomatic corps and the expert community attended the event, which was dedicated to the International Day Against Nuclear Tests on August 29 and to the International Day for the Complete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26.

“The history of nuclear tests is the history of suffering and the history of the victims of more than 2 thousand nuclear tests on our planet,” with those touching words Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium Aigul Kuspan started her opening remarks.

She reminded to the Brussels audience that the result of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site, lasting for 40 years, was the devastating effects on the environment, public health, food security and economic development.

With such a terrible legacy, our country not only abandoned the fourth largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, but also became a leader in the struggle to free humanity from nuclear weapons and to strengthen the non-proliferation regime of weapons of mass destruction.

“Kazakhstan’s contribution to the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia and our support for the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan on the Iranian nuclear program are highly appreciated by the international community,” the Kazakh diplomat noted.

She stressed that Kazakhstan advocates for the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and calls on all states that have not yet done so to sign and ratify this document.

The ambassador also welcomed the Vice-Prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium Mr. Didier Reynders’ plead for a definitive end to all nuclear tests, which also represents the position of Belgium, being a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

In turn, the head of the EU Council Non-Proliferation Working Group, Narcissa Vladulescu, who was also a member of the panel discussion, assured that the CTBT continues to take an important place on the EU agenda. All EU member states have signed and ratified this Treaty.

According to her, after a nuclear test by North Korea, the CTBT has demonstrated its invaluable role in quickly providing reliable and independent data, which allows the international community to respond accordingly.

The European diplomat paid special attention to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), whose review conference will be held in New York next year.

In addition, N.Vladulescu urged the diplomats from Russia and the United States who also took part in the event to start a dialogue on the future Treaty on Measures to Further Reduce and Limit Strategic Offensive Arms after 2021 and initiate arms control negotiations to maintain strategic stability and consolidate nuclear achievements disarmament.

Annick Hiensch, deputy head of the UN office on peace and security, recognizing Kazakhstan's significant contribution to regional and international security, focused on the 2005 Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

The panel discussion aroused keen interest among the participants. The questions of those present mainly related to the practical achievements of our country in the disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as measures that could reduce international tension and strengthen strategic stability.