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be done to prevent nuclear made a strong appeal to the
testing? international community to
achieve substantial progress
In this connection, I would towards complete nuclear
urge the conference partici- disarmament. The head of
pants, all activists of the glo- the UN stressed that
Nursultan
bal non-proliferation pro- President
cess to mark this day with Nazarbayev had shown
practical actions. exceptional leadership by
closing the Semipalatinsk
Activities to mark August 29 nuclear test site and renoun-
should become widespread cing nuclear weapons. This
and regular. has made Semipalatinsk
known as a symbol of
nuclear disarmament and
the
Today,
former
Semipalatinsk nuclear test hope for a nuclear weapons tripartite cooperation regar- In this context, I would like
ding the physical protection to express hope that today's
site is the territory of peace. free future. of the former Semipalatinsk
The projects on the develop- international conference
test site facilities. would help improve coordi-
ment of the CTBTO From 1997 to 2009, the UN
I would like to express our nation and efficiency of all
International Monitoring General Assembly has adop-
special thanks to Norway for parties involved in solving
System for nuclear testing ted several resolutions cal-
and field inspection tech- ling on Member States to its support in creating inter- the problems of the
niques are being implemen- assist Kazakhstan in tac- national training center for Semipalatinsk region.
ted on its territory. In 2008, kling the challenges of reha- specialists from the coun-
tries of Central Asia within Ladies and gentlemen,
former
a large-scale integrated field bilitating
the
experiment for on-site Semipalatinsk region. The the Comprehensive Test Ban By denouncing nuclear wea-
Treaty. pons, Kazakhstan has
inspection was conducted in Tokyo international confe-
convincingly demonstrated
the Semipalatinsk region. rence held in 1999 develo-
The international communi- ped thirty-eight projects in A lot remains to be done, that the quintessence of
however. security does not lie in
ty worthily appraised our the areas of public health,
country's nuclear weapons environment, economic nuclear weapons but in pea-
free choice by offering development, humanitarian Despite efforts taken within ceful foreign policy, internal
the framework of state, sec- stability, and sustainable
assistance programmes on assistance and education.
conversion of our military- I would like to note that the toral and regional programs politico-economic develop-
as well as the international ment of a country. By sho-
industrial infrastructure, Government of Kazakhstan
assistance, a comprehensive wing the world an example
including the former with the assistance of donors
approach is needed to alle- of voluntary renunciation of
Semipalatinsk nuclear test and the direct involvement
viate the problems of the nuclear weapons and full
site. The largest project here of UN agencies carried out
was the U.S. Cooperative considerable amount of region. A systematic work is disarmament, Kazakhstan
Reduction
Threat required for studying the and its leader continue to be
work in the Semipalatinsk
environment, water resour- active participants in the
Programme, known as the region over the past 10
ces condition, and public global process of nonproli-
Nunn - Lugar Programme. years. Numerous projects in
I would also like to note the the socio-economic sphere, health. Previously conduc- feration. Another confirma-
special role the UN plays in in the areas of environment, ted research needs re-exami- tion of this is the address of
rehabilitating the popula- public health and education nation and an informed deci- our President to the partici-
tion, territory and environ- have been implemented. sion should be made on the pants of today's conference
issue of returning unconta-
ment in the area of the for- Japan, and I am honored to read it.
Netherlands,
minated lands of the former
mer Semipalatinsk test site. Switzerland, Canada, the
We are very grateful to UN European Commission, test site for agricultural use. PRESIDENT OF THE

Secretary General Ban Ki- USAID, IAEA, and UNDP In this regard, great hopes REPUBLIC OF
Moon for visiting the former are actively participating in are placed on a joint project KAZAKHSTAN
nuclear test site in April this comprehensively addressing of the Government of Akorda, Astana
Kazakhstan and the UN August 26, 2010
year, his praise for the problems facing the for-
Kazakhstan's efforts to redu- mer nuclear test site. We are Development Programme
"Improving the competitive- To Participants of the
ce the global nuclear threat, grateful to all our foreign
as well as the contribution partners for their support ness of the region through International ?onference
innovative approaches to Devoted to the International
our country and our leader and contribution to the reha-
regional planning and deli-
have made in the process of bilitation Day against Nuclear Tests
of
the
ridding our planet of these Semipalatinsk region. very of social services" for I welcome participants and
deadly weapons. the years of 2011-2015 guests of the Conference
worth more than US$ 11 devoted to the International
We highly appreciate the
Standing on ground zero of achieved level of interaction million. Day against Nuclear Tests.
the former nuclear test site, of Kazakhstan-Russia-US On August 29, 19911 signed
the UN Secretary General
1 2011 Diva 5
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