Signing of agreement on LEU Bank establishment in Kazakhstan discussed in Stockholm

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ASTANA. KAZINFORM - On September, 3 in Stockholm Embassy of Kazakhstan to Sweden held a briefing dedicated to the signing of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the establishment of Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) bank in the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk, the Kazakh MFA's press service reports.

Representatives of the MFA of Sweden, expert society, mass media and diplomatic corps, as well as distinguished guests as Mr. Hans Blinks, former IAEA Director General and Mr. Rolf Ekeus, former Chairperson of the UN Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) and former OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities attended the briefing. In his opening address Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Sweden Mr. Dastan Yeleukenov noted that recently people of Kazakhstan celebrated 20th Anniversary of Constitutionof the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasizing the role of the highest law in sustainable development of our country. The Ambassador informed that establishment of LEU bank at the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev is a new contribution of Kazakhstan to the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime and peaceful use of atomic energy. It is symbolic that signing of the agreement took place prior to 29 August - the International Day against Nuclear Tests and the day of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. In this regard attention of the audience was drawn to the Kazakhstan's project ATOM a global company to provide a large-scale public support for the CTBT's entry into force. Noting importance of these initiatives of the President aimed at nuclear-free world Kazakh diplomat emphasized that issues of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament will be priorities for Kazakhstan if it is elected as a non-permanent UN Security Council member for 2017-2018. Mr. Tariq Rauf, Director of Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-proliferation Programme of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) also made a presentation at the briefing. He informed in details about the history of IAEA LEU bank in Kazakhstan and political, international law and technical aspects of this project. Mr. Rauf noted that signing of the agreement on the establishment of LEU bank is an important step in nuclear non-proliferation and stressed role of Kazakhstan as a leader in this field. The journalist of the Swedish press agency "Cawa Media" Mr. Peter Johansson shared impressions about his recent trip to Kazakhstan and presented photos about the ceremony of signing of the agreement and his visit to the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk.

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