Addis Ababa Hosts Seminar Dedicated to Kazakhstan’s Initiatives for Peace and 30th Anniversary of Closure of Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

Addis Ababa Hosts Seminar Dedicated to Kazakhstan’s Initiatives for Peace and 30th Anniversary of Closure of Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

Addis Ababa, August 27, 2021 – As part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a seminar on the topic: «Achieving a world free of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests», dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, was held in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.

The seminar was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, the Secretariat of the African Union Commission, the diplomatic corps, including from the countries of the «nuclear five» and the Stockholm Initiative, public figures, experts from the Institute for Peace and Security Studies and the Center for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation, students of the University of Addis Ababa, as well as journalists of a number of Ethiopian publications.

In his address to the participants of the seminar, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Barlybay Sadykov briefed the audience about Kazakhstan’s contribution to the global process of disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, about the international initiatives of the First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, his role in strengthening international peace and security.

This year the countries of Africa are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the opening for signing of the Pelindaba Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Africa. This year is also the 15th anniversary of the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia (the Semipalatinsk Treaty). Signing a cooperation agreement between the two zones is being planned.

Representatives of research institutes, public figures of Ethiopia, ambassadors of Indonesia, Sweden, Iran, representative of Japan Mission to the Africa Union also spoke at the event and stressed the need for further joint work of the international community with active engagement from Kazakhstan to strengthen the regime of disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world.

The seminar included a screening of Andre Singer's documentary Where the Wind Blew, as well as a photo exhibition entitled Stronger than Death, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site.

Following the seminar, the participants expressed their appreciation of the contributions of Kazakhstan and its people to the international process of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and expressed interest in strengthening friendly ties with our country.