NATIONAL STATEMENT by the Republic of Kazakhstan

at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C.

Kazakhstan believes that the Nuclear Security Summit is a timely and relevant endeavor.We support the goals of the summit, outlined in the Communiqué and Work Plan, and are readyto work on their implementation.

We agree with the need for nations to strengthen control over nuclear activities withintheir own territory and to develop an improved infrastructure to prevent terrorist acts.

Kazakhstan counts on the political will of nations to pursue the broadest possibleimplementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of NuclearTerrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

Recognizing the great potential of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorismand the G-8 Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of MassDestruction, Kazakhstan calls for the strengthening of cooperation within the framework ofthese initiatives.

We believe it is expedient to strengthen the role and responsibility of the InternationalAtomic Energy Agency in monitoring the flow and use of fissile materials, including greatertransparency and accountability of states in the nuclear sector.

We call for greater attention to nuclear weapon free zones. These zones can play animportant role in combating nuclear terrorism through better control over the flow of nuclearmaterials, regional exchange of information among law enforcement agencies, as well ascustoms and border control along the perimeter of the zones.

In order to disseminate best practices of nuclear-free zones in the world we suggestproviding for the legally binding status of nuclear-free zones. First of all, it would meanproviding negative security assurances by nuclear weapon states, as well as preferences toparticipating countries of nuclear-free zones. Such preferences might include the establishmentof an international fund to support peaceful nuclear programs.

Kazakhstan has proposed in the framework of the Treaty on a Nuclear Weapon FreeZone in Central Asia to develop a Regional Action Plan for strengthening nuclear security, theprevention of nuclear proliferation, and combating nuclear terrorism.

Acknowledging the seriousness of the problem of nuclear proliferation and nuclearterrorism, Kazakhstan, together with other countries, especially the United States and Russia, hastaken a number of important steps in the field of nuclear security. Above all, it eliminated thenuclear testing infrastructure at the former Semipalatinsk test site.

The joint Kazakh-American operation to secure safe storage of 558 kilograms of highlyenriched uranium in 1994, as well as the current bilateral project on the secure placement ofspent nuclear fuel are symbolic examples and evidence of our commitment to common goals.

In addition, Kazakhstan has taken another major step in nonproliferation by convertinghighly enriched nuclear fuel to a low-enriched state. We are ready to assist other states in solvingsimilar problems.

Last year, our country became one of the world's leaders in uranium mining. This factimposes on us a higher degree of responsibility for the security of nuclear infrastructure andnuclear material.

In Kazakhstan, a national commission on nonproliferation of weapons of massdestruction has been established, which oversees all issues related to the nuclear cycle. It focuseson accounting and control not only of nuclear material but natural uranium, as well asstrengthening the system of export controls, customs and border infrastructure.

The Government has taken a variety of measures to strengthen the export control systemand state supervisory over the whole cycle of nuclear production. The national system of exportcontrol established with United States and European Union assistance prevents any attempts ofunauthorized access to nuclear materials.

All nuclear facilities in the country are under the full and strict control of theInternational Atomic Energy Agency. The pilot project on safety control during the process ofmining, production, and allocation of uranium materials is being implemented together with theIAEA. An integral part of the national mechanism of accounting and control over uranium is theinternal corporate compliance program.

Being aware of the necessity of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime andexport control, Kazakhstan has been a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group since 2002, apartner of the Global Initiative To Combat Nuclear Terrorism since 2006, and participant of theZangger Committee since 2008. We intend to join the Missile Technology Control Regime andthe Australia Group as well.

We would greatly appreciate support from summit participants to establish anInternational Nuclear Security Training Center in Kazakhstan. In view of Kazakhstan’s extensiveexperience, this center would strengthen the potential of Central Asian states to improve exportcontrols, as well as the accounting and physical protection of nuclear material.

Kazakhstan has supported the idea of an International Nuclear Fuel Bank under IAEAauspices and officially confirmed its willingness to host such a bank in Kazakhstan to ensurethe proper storage of nuclear fuel. We express appreciation to those countries which supportour initiative.

This year, Kazakhstan will host a conference within the Global Initiative to CombatNuclear Terrorism to be held in Astana in June. This event will debut one of a number ofactivities aimed at implementation of the summit resolutions. We welcome all member countriesof the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism to participate in the conference.

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