In a significant bilateral meeting, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan reminded US President Joe Biden that the United States remains the sole significant nuclear power yet to confirm its security guarantees for Central Asia. Tokayev emphasized Washington's affirmation's importance in solidifying the region's nuclear-free status.
"Such an affirmation will not only institutionalize Central Asia's nuclear-free stance but will also be pivotal in bolstering international efforts for nuclear non-proliferation," stated Tokayev during their discussion in New York.
It's essential to highlight that Central Asia stands as the singular region in the northern hemisphere where the deployment of nuclear arsenals is expressly forbidden. This historic commitment was reinforced in 2006 when all five Central Asian nations inked an agreement cementing this stance.
Semipalatinsk Treaty
The Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ) treaty, often referred to as the 'Semipalatinsk Treaty', is an agreement signed on 8 September 2006. The five Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) pledged not to engage in any activities related to nuclear weapons, including their production, acquisition, testing, or possession.
Unique features of the treaty include its location in the northern hemisphere, bordering two nuclear nations, and being the only zone with a history of nuclear weapon testing and deployment. The idea for this zone was first introduced in 1997 at a conference in Uzbekistan, and the signing took place in 2006 in Kazakhstan at the site of a former nuclear test ground.
In 2014, Russia, China, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom committed to a pact. This agreement stated they would neither use nor threaten to use nuclear arms against Central Asian countries. Despite this, the United States later chose not to ratify the protocol.
Some observers have noted that this year's C5+1 summit in New York is the first time a president of the USA has met with any of the Central Asian leaders. and this renewed interest seems to be spurred in part by the region's proximity and relations with both Russia and China.
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