On December 5, 2024, a meeting of the States parties to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia on the theme “Strengthening cooperation between existing nuclear-weapon-free zones” was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, became a part of Turkmenistan’s chairmanship in the Treaty.
The main purpose of the meeting is to intensify cooperation between the five existing nuclear–weapon-free zones in the world.
The event was attended by heads and representatives of the foreign ministries of Central Asian and Mongolian countries, heads of diplomatic missions of the region accredited to Turkmenistan, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia – the Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, as well as representatives of local and foreign academic circles and research institutes, including among those specializing in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation.
The Secretary General of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), as well as the Chairman of the African Nuclear Energy Commission, participated in the meeting via videoconference.
Experts from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the meeting.
In his speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov noted the importance of this meeting, designed to promote cooperation between existing nuclear-weapon-free zones. It was noted that the zone in Central Asia is the first nuclear–weapon-free zone established in the Northern hemisphere.
In particular, it was stressed that Turkmenistan supports the initiatives of the international community to ensure peace, security and sustainable development under the auspices of the United Nations. The country stands for disarmament, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and ensuring universal nuclear security.
Turkmenistan is strictly committed to the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on measures to maintain and strengthen effective cooperation between the existing zones, including potential communication mechanisms and information exchange.
The importance of the meeting was noted in terms of strengthening the positions of nuclear-weapon-free zones in the international arena, raising public awareness of the topic of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the peaceful use of atomic energy.
The meeting addressed issues faced by nuclear-weapon-free zones, including the provision of international legally binding security guarantees and improving the interconnection between zones. In this regard, the importance of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia and the African Nuclear Energy Commission, signed in December 2023 was noted.
The participants stressed the key importance of developing cooperation among all existing nuclear-weapon-free zones in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening this partnership in order to fully implement the provisions of the Treaties on the Establishment of Nuclear-Weapon-free Zones and exchange and best practices in this area. The importance of these zones in strengthening both global and regional peace and security, especially in times of international tension, was emphasized.
Following the meeting, a Final document was adopted.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia and the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), which marks an important step towards consolidating the common efforts of nuclear-weapon-free zones in the global dimension. ///MFA Turkmenistan, 5 December 2024