Kazakhstan and Korea discussed nuclear safety issues
Spreading the ideas of global security, peace and harmony is the fundamental basis of the state policy of the First President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Promotion and discussion of these ideas at the international level is one of the key activities of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy and the Institute of World Economy and Politics (IWEP).
Today, global security issues are of particular importance, because, according to experts, mistrust and tensions between key nuclear powers are close to a critical level. This is largely due to the expansion of the «nuclear club», the attempts of some states to acquire a nuclear arsenal. The most striking example of this is the implementation of the North Korean nuclear program, which is today the focus of attention of world politicians, experts and the media.
Considering the high relevance of the topic, the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan –Elbasy and IWEP together with the Korean Foundation, the largest non-profit organization in South Korea, held an international round table on the topic: «Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kazakhstan’s anti-nuclear experience in addressing global challenges».
The purpose of the event is to discuss the problems of global nuclear security, as well as to find a solution to the current crisis on the Korean Peninsula, to study the unique experience of Kazakhstan in nuclear disarmament.
The event was attended by Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Igor Rogov, President of the Korean Foundation Lee Sihyung, Director of the IWEP Yerzhan Saltybayev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Kazakhstan Kim De Sik, as well as leading Kazakh and Korean experts.
Opening the event, I. Rogov noted that «despite the fact that humanity remembers the disastrous consequences of the nuclear race, today the global nuclear safety system is facing new challenges».
Special attention was paid to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The experts who made the reports identified the main difficulties that could disrupt the negotiation processes launched in 2018 between the Korean People's Democratic Republic and the Republic of Korea, as well as between the Korean People's Democratic Republic and the United States.
At the same time, the participants of the event paid special attention to the experience and initiatives of Kazakhstan in the field of nuclear non-proliferation.
As the President of the Korean Foundation, Lee Sihyung, noted: «All members of our delegation watched with particular attention how Kazakhstan, taking a decision on nuclear disarmament, implementing this decision, made its important contribution to maintaining the global non-proliferation regime. Moreover, all members of the delegation hope that the experience of Kazakhstan in this matter will help to stimulate the process of denuclearization of North Korea, and will be an important lesson for it at each particular stage of this process.
I hope that today's event will help stimulate the fastest North Korean denuclearization, and create conditions for a more secure and peaceful prosperity of Asia and the whole world. I also hope that today's round table will be a good start for the development of the multifaceted cooperation between our Funds».
The coordinator of the international programs of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, diplomat Kairat Abuseitov reminded that Kazakhstan was the first country to voluntarily give up nuclear weapons. Kazakhstan has closed the largest nuclear test site in Semipalatinsk, and has consistently opposed all types of nuclear testing. Moreover, our country played an important role in the process of settling the Iranian nuclear program, providing a platform for negotiations in the format«P5 + 1». One of the most important measures to prevent nuclear proliferation in our country was the creation of the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank. Kazakhstan’s experience in creating a nuclear-free zone in Central Asia is unique.
Participants agreed that such meetings between experts of the two countries should be held on a regular basis. Experts from other key countries involved in the negotiations on the Korean People's Democratic Republic nuclear program, including China, the United States, the Russian Federation and Japan, can also take part in them.
Summing up the round table, the director of the IWEP, Yerzhan Saltybaev, said: «Today, all countries of the world are interested in a breakthrough on this issue. Kazakhstan, given its well-deserved authority and big experience in the field of nuclear disarmament, can offer a platform for further discussions and negotiations on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula».
In continuation of the initiative, the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Korean Foundation agreed to hold the next expert meeting in Seoul.
