RK National Nuclear Center Delegation Participates in the CTBTO International Conference in Astana

The International Conference “Remembering the past, looking into the future” of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is being held in Astana.

The conference convened around the International Day against Nuclear Tests gathered in Astana members of the CTBTO Youth Group (CYG) and Group of Eminent Persons (GEM) with the aim to discuss the role of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in global peace building, including through raising the status of the Treaty.

National Nuclear Center of RK actively participates in the work of the conference, the activity of which is inextricably linked to the history of Semipalatinsk Test Site. After the closure of Semipalatinsk Test Site and independence Kazakhstan faced a number of issues: nuclear testing infrastructure and nuclear testing consequences elimination, conversion of the former military-industrial complex of STS and use its scientific-technical potential in peaceful purposes, urgent task on nuclear weapon testing control at other operating world polygons and, finally, it was necessary to construct scientific-technical, technological and staff base for nuclear power development in the Republic of Kazakhstan. To address these tasks the National Nuclear Center was established on May 15, 1992 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the basis of the former Semipalatinsk Test Site and corresponding scientific organizations and objects located in Kazakhstan.

Erlan Batyrbekov, Director General of NNC RK, in his address to the conference participants noted, that for the moment it can be stated, that direct threats STS posed to Kazakhstan and World Community were eliminated. And first-priority tasks on elimination of nuclear testing infrastructure, set before the National Nuclear Center at the moment of STS closure were fulfilled.

Unique results of the National Nuclear Center activity are summarized in the three-volume monograph “Carrying Out Scientific, Technical and Engineering Works to Bring the Former Semipalatinsk Test Site to Safe Condition”, prepared with participation of the Head of State – a Leader of the nation N.A. Nazarbayev. The book has been already issued in three languages and dispersed to all world leading universities and libraries. These days, books were presented to all participants of CTBTO conference.