Kazakhstan participates in Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu took part in the Second Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), Kazinform News Agency cites the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Murat Nurtleu spoke at the high-level session of the conference and drew the attention of the international audience to the harmful consequences that nuclear weapons testing and their use can lead to. He called for dialogue and expansion of confidence-building measures in order to strengthen global security.
The Kazakh diplomat also drew attention to the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev “World Unity for a Just Peace and Harmony.” The initiative, announced by the Head of State in September this year at UN headquarters, proposes the promotion of “equal dialogue” based on the UN Charter, international law and mutual respect.
The Kazakh Minister emphasized that Kazakhstan, together with Kiribati, has prepared proposals for the creation of an International Trust Fund to finance projects to help victims of nuclear tests and restore the environment.
Also during the visit, Minister Nurtleu held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who highly appreciated the important role of Kazakhstan in the world, especially in the current geopolitical conditions, and emphasized the effective diplomacy of the Head of State.
The UN leadership noted our country’s leadership and initiatives in strengthening international security, especially in the field of nuclear disarmament, and thanked us for supporting the peacekeeping missions of the global Organization.
At a meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, Kazakh initiatives on nuclear disarmament, strengthening the non-proliferation regime of weapons of mass destruction and expanding cooperation between nuclear-weapon-free zones were discussed. The interlocutors agreed to organize the next meeting of the participating countries of such nuclear-free zones in Kazakhstan in 2024.
Special attention was paid to the implementation of the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to create an International Biosafety Agency.
At a meeting with the Executive Director of ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) Melissa Park, the readiness to work together and support Kazakhstan’s disarmament initiatives was confirmed.
During the conference, the Kazakhstan delegation held two events dedicated to supporting victims of nuclear tests and restoring the environment.
With the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and the UN Secretariat, participation in the conference was organized for citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and representatives of the island states of the Pacific region affected by nuclear weapons tests.
At the Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW a political declaration will be adopted and Kazakhstan will assume a biennial Presidency.
