Kazakhstan and VCDNP expressed intentions for active cooperation

Vienna, 16 February 2024 - Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the International Organizations in Vienna Mukhtar Tileuberdi held a meeting with Elena Sokova, Director of the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP).

During the meeting, the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan got acquainted with the work of the Center and discussed the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation, including holding joint events on nuclear disarmament and the peaceful uses of atomic energy at the Center.

The head of the VCDNP highly appreciated Kazakhstan's active role in international disarmament, non-proliferation, and peaceful nuclear energy platforms, including its chairmanship of the NPT, TPNW, and key IAEA conferences. In this context, the parties also discussed plans to hold a panel session at the upcoming IAEA Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS-2024), co-chaired by Kazakhstan and Australia, as well as the organization of seminars for Kazakh diplomats and regulators.

Kazakhstan has been successfully cooperating with the Center since its foundation on the initiative of the Austrian Foreign Ministry in 2010. The Center provides a platform for independent analysis and dialogue in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, cooperates with other academic and non-governmental institutions, as well as international organizations in conducting research, awareness-raising, education and training in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament.

As part of the joint work with the Center, over the years, representatives of Kazakhstan as part of the VCDNP Working Group contributed to the preparation of the Report on cooperation between nuclear-weapon-free zones and actively participated in the activities of the Center's Advisory Board.