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Kazakhstan set to host international nuclear fuel bank

Kazakhstan will host an international low-enriched uranium bank under the IAEA’s jurisdiction

Danger of radiation sign (archive) EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

Danger of radiation sign (archive)

© EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

ASTANA, February 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Kazakhstan will host an international nuclear fuel bank under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s jurisdiction, the Central Asian republic’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

“Kazakhstan will host an international low-enriched uranium bank under the IAEA’s jurisdiction and is now completing talks on drafting a host country agreement. We believe that development of multilateral approaches to nuclear fuel, including the creation of guaranteed nuclear fuel reserves will contribute to peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” the ministry said on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry also called on signatories to confirm again their adherence to the non-proliferation regime, commitments taken under the treaty, decisions of the review conferences of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to translate into reality the agreements reached and to ensure universality of the treaty.

“We also call on countries that have not yet signed or ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty to do this for this document to enter into force as soon as possible,” the ministry added. “We believe that it is necessary to strengthen the verification mechanism of the treaty as an effective tool for ensuring non-proliferation, disarmament and nuclear security in the world.”

Moreover, the ministry urged the launch of a negotiating process and the soonest possible development of a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty that “will become an important step towards nuclear disarmament and prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons.”

The ministry also stressed importance of the soonest possible convocation of a conference promoting efforts to turn the Middle East into a mass destruction weapon-free zone with participation of all countries of the region to implement recommendations of the 2010 Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

“In the event of being elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018 the Republic of Kazakhtan is set, if UN member-states give credence, to take responsibility and to promote the issues of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation within the UN Security Council,” the ministry said.

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