TURKMENISTAN HOSTED THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING ON STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AMONG NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE ZONES

On December 5, 2024, a meeting of States parties to the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan on the theme “Strengthening cooperation among existing nuclear-weapon-free zones”.

The meeting was dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the entry into force of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.

Turkmenistan is hosting this meeting in the framework of its chairmanship of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.

The main objective of the meeting is to intensify cooperation among the five existing nuclear-weapon-free zones present in the world.

The meeting was attended by the heads and representatives of the foreign ministries of Central Asian countries and Mongolia, heads of diplomatic missions of the region accredited in 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 those specializing in disarmament and non-proliferation.

The Secretary General of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) and the Chairman of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy 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 Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov noted the significance of the meeting, which aims to promote cooperation among 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 emphasized that Turkmenistan supports the initiatives of the international community on maintaining peace, security and sustainable development under the auspices of the UN. The country advocates disarmament, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and universal nuclear safety.

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 parties exchanged views on measures to maintain and strengthen effective cooperation between the existing zones, including potential communication mechanisms and information exchange.

The significance of the meeting was noted in terms of strengthening the position of nuclear-weapon-free zones in the international arena, raising public awareness on the subject of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and peaceful use of atomic energy.

The meeting addressed issues facing nuclear-weapon-free zones, including the provision of international legally binding security guarantees and upgraded interconnectivity between the zones. In this regard, the significance of signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and the African Commission on Nuclear Energy in December 2023, under the Chairmanship of the Republic of Tajikistan, was highlighted.

The participants emphasized the crucial importance of developing cooperation among all existing nuclear-weapon-free zones in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen this partnership for full implementation of the provisions of the Treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones and sharing best practices in this regard. The importance of these zones in strengthening both global and regional peace and security, especially in the present period of international tension, was emphasized.

Upon the results of the session, an Outcome Document was adopted.

It is important to note that after the meeting, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) was signed, marking an important step towards consolidating the shared efforts of nuclear-weapon-free zones in the global dimension.