Washington Times - 05.05.2003

 

The Washington Times

Kazakhstan's Contribution 

By Kanat Saudabayev
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the U.S.

Although the recent PBS screening of "Avoiding Armageddon" did mention Kazakhstan as a country that chose to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), it was disappointing that Americans were not fully informed of what was behind that choice and what it means for global security.

Kazakhstan's "notable example" of disarmament, as the White House recently described it, could be used as a counterweight to aspirations of some countries to develop WMD as means to assert their interests in the world. I strongly believe that Kazakhstan's story of responsible international behavior and strong cooperation with the U.S. is of paramount importance, as it might lead to solutions to today's most acute international problems.

In 1991, having suffered through almost 500 Soviet nuclear tests that destroyed the lives of 1.5 million people, Kazakhstan voluntarily renounced what would have been the world's 4th nuclear arsenal and shut down the world's largest nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk. Together with the United States, we have since destroyed the remaining infrastructure of the loathsome legacy of the Cold War. Amongst the most graphic examples of our cooperation under the Nunn-Lugar program have been Project Sapphire, which shipped more than 1,300 pounds of weapons-grade uranium from Kazakhstan to the U.S., and the destruction of the world's largest anthrax production and weaponization facility at Stepnogorsk. 

The path of history could have been different, however, had President Nursultan Nazarbayev chosen to go with the significant portion of Kazakhstan's elite that was in favor of keeping the nuclear weapons as means to ostensibly gain international respect.

To the contrary, it was Mr. Nazarbayev's unswerving commitment to disarmament during all these years that led Kazakhstan to renounce the nuclear weapons, becoming a strong disarmament advocate, and ultimately, gaining the recognition as a peace-loving nation.

Indeed, it is our policies that enabled Kazakhstan to launch a new security organization for Asia with the participation of the leaders of 16 nations. At its inaugural meeting in Almaty in June 2002, we hosted the presidents of China, Russia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the prime minister of India and others. At the height of a crisis between New Delhi and Islamabad, their leaders sat at one table and were able to directly listen to each other. This event became Kazakhstan's important contribution to the reduction of tensions between the two nuclear powers of the subcontinent. 

"Countries like Kazakhstan that have renounced nuclear weapons for all time provide an example and can provide valuable leadership on these issues," former Sen. Sam Nunn said this month at a Washington conference. "One of the things I hope we can do is pay some real attention, and put in a leadership role, to countries that have given up nuclear weapons."

I couldn't agree more. We believe our example should become international public knowledge and a factor in dealing with threshold countries.
Though our disarmament might seem something of the distant past, it also relates directly to present challenges to global security. 

We still need to take care of what Mr. Nunn calls the human factor. As we moved to disarm and destroy the military infrastructure, scores of experienced nuclear scientists and biological specialists and their families, were left lingering in ghost towns with neither proper jobs nor means to live. They can be instrumental in commercial projects of conversion in such areas as the peaceful use of atomic energy and biotechnologies. The help from the United States will not only give them an opportunity to peacefully apply their skills, but will also strengthen our joint counterproliferation efforts at a time when numerous countries and terrorist groups continue to seek WMD.

Our cooperation with the UnitedStates in nonproliferation and fighting terrorism has served as a strong foundation for our relations, dubbed "strategic partnership" by Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev and George Bush. 

The people of Kazakhstan were outraged by the horrific attacks of September 11, and we have worked closely with the United States in bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. As of now, more than 1,000 coalition aircraft have flown over Kazakhstan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. We have provided our major airport for the use by U.S. Air Force, and significantly expanded the cooperation between our armed forces and intelligence services. 

We have supported the American-led efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein, who failed to present clear evidence of the disarmament of Iraq and hence bore the full responsibility for the military action. Today, we stand united in bringing stability to that country and the region.

It is crucial then that in this fragile time, policy-makers and people of both Kazakhstan and the United States make strong efforts to support our cooperation further. This will bode well with the long-term interests of both nations and will help us build a safer and more prosperous world.