The policy of Kazakhstan in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation of WMD is defined by country’s foreign policy, the basis of which is adherence to consolidation of international safety, development of cooperation among the states, to increase the role of international organizations in settlement of global problems and conflicts.
The Republic of Kazakhstan has carried out a number of concrete steps which have shown its firm intention to strengthen non-proliferation regime.
The first step that laid the foundation of Kazakhstan’s future policy of non-proliferation was the closing of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, still being a part of the USSR in 1991.
In 1991 heads of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine in the Almaty Declaration on Strategic nuclear forces defined the mechanism of joint control over functioning of a nuclear arsenal of the former USSR to bar any failures in maintenance of a due level of nuclear safety and confirmed adherence to international obligations of the USSR in the field of reduction of strategic offensive arms.
On May 23rd 1992, in Lisbon representatives of the given countries and the USA signed the five-sided Protocol specified the sphere of their responsibilities for realization of regulations of the Treaty between the USSR and the USA on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms (Start Treaty) with reference to those Strategic Nuclear Forces placed in territory of the four states. The Lisbon Protocol also contained obligations of Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan to join the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the countries not possessing the nuclear weapon.
On December 5 1994, at the OSCE Budapest summit Russia, the USA, Great Britain signed the Memorandum of Security Assurances in connection with Kazakhstan’s Accession to the NPT as a denuclearized state. This document recognized Kazakhstan’s full and strict performance its obligations on complete withdrawal of nuclear weapon from its territory. China and France also assured Kazakhstan of their security guarantees.
Having completely withdrawn its nuclear arsenal, Kazakhstan faced the problem of destruction of nuclear weapon infrastructure on its territory and conversion of former military productions for the civil purposes. Under aegis International Agency on the Atomic Energy (IAEA) the Coordination plan of technical assistance to Kazakhstan on operation of the Atomic power station, physical protection of nuclear materials and installations was developed with participation of Great Britain, the USA, Sweden and Japan.
In 1992, Kazakhstan has started the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program, also known as " The Program of Nunn-Lugar", a which a complex of projects on destruction and disinfecting infrastructure and objects of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons remained in Kazakhstan, dismantling strategic offensive arms, creation of export control system, improvement of management and control over nuclear materials, conversion of defensive industry.
On December 13 1993, the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Kazakhstan ratified the NPT.
Kazakhstan’s joining the NPT was an important stage in realization of country’s foreign policy. As a member of the NPT, Kazakhstan strictly adheres to obligations of the Treaty, a unique multilateral agreement in the field of control over nuclear weapons obliging members to undertake measures on nuclear disarmament.
Kazakhstan supports steady and stage-by-stage nuclear disarmament by all NPT nuclear states-members as well as non-nuclear. The first stage on this way should be control over manufacture of split materials. Significant stocks saved up in the world of enriched uranium and plutonium represent danger from the point of non-proliferation, as well as split materials received as a result of destruction of warheads.
On February 14 1994, Kazakhstan became a member of the IAEA. On July 26 1994, in Almaty the Agreement on Guarantees between the Government of Kazakhstan and the IAEA was signed and ratified on June 19 1995. All nuclear objects are under guarantees of the IAEA and all nuclear activity of Kazakhstan is carried out according to its rules and standards.
On February 6 2004, Kazakhstan joined the Additional Protocol to the Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and IAEA on application of guarantees and on February 19 2007, ratified it by the law № 229-II.
In September 1996, at the 51st session of the UN General Assembly Kazakhstan signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and ratified it on November 148 2001.
By joining to the CTBT, Kazakhstan has made a significant contribution to strengthening verified regime within the Treaty, actively cooperating with its Preparatory commission by creating the Global Моnitoring Networks.
Kazakhstan made a significant contribution to the execution of field experiments of spot inspections, which is one of the most important components of the CTBTO work.
The Integrated field experiment of spot inspection (IFE-08) had been carried out jointly with the CTBTO on the basis of the former Semipalatinks nuclear testing area from the 1st to the 30th of September. This event took place in order to work through various inspection methods of fixation of nuclear detonations in any environment or preparing for their execution. IFE-08 became a significant event, undertaken by the CTBTO throughout the years of this organization’s existence. Owing to vigorous activity in the field of nuclear disarmament during the period of 1994-1996, Kazakhstan became a member to the Conference on Disarmament in 1999.
Kazakhstan is also a member to the Chemical Weapon Convention (CW). The national organ for performance of regulations of the Convention has been set up. Representatives of Kazakhstan take part in annual sessions of Conference on a regular basis.
On May 13 2002, Kazakhstan became the 40th member of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The purpose of our participation in the NSG is activation of measures against terrorism, counteraction of WMD proliferation, strengthening the control over use and movement of nuclear materials and production of double purpose.
In July 2005 Kazakhstan joined the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), known as "Krakow initiative". The PSI seeks to involve all states to take steps to stop the flow of such items (WMD) at sea, in the air, or on land.
In July 2005 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan sent an official note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria - depositary of the International Haague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (IHCOC) notifying of its joining to the ICOC.
On May 7 2007, Kazakhstan joined via ratification to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Distraction.
Kazakhstan actively takes part in the Global Initiative Combating Nuclear Terrorism proposed by the presidents of Russian Federation and USA in June 2006. In June 2007, the third meeting of deputy ministers of foreign affairs under the Global Initiative was held in Astana.
. The following activities were carried out within the framework of the Global Initiative in Kazakhstan in 2008:
- international anti-terrorist exercises “Atom-Anti-terror-2008” took place on the basis of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the National Nuclear Center in Almaty on June 6,
- two-day seminar “Projective threat” was held on the basis of the Ulbinks metallurgic factory in Ust-Kamenogorsk on September 11.
Date of issue: 2008-12-05
