ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 20. Kazakhstan and Russia held bilateral consultations on arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation in Astana, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh delegation was led by First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov heading the Russian side.
During the meeting, the sides discussed global security issues, including strengthening nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, biological security, and export control matters. They also exchanged views on priorities for cooperation in multilateral platforms, such as the UN General Assembly First Committee, the Conference on Disarmament, and the upcoming 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The parties confirmed their intention to continue a substantive dialogue on these topics.
According to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons will take place from 27 April through 22 May 2026 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The NPT entered into force in 1970 and was extended indefinitely in 1995. The treaty is regarded as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and an essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. It was designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, to further the goals of nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament, and to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Both Russia and Kazakhstan are involved in nuclear non-proliferation treaties but differ in nuclear status. Kazakhstan, having denuclearized after 1991, is a non-nuclear state party to the NPT and TPNW, dismantling its Soviet-era arsenal and returning warheads to Russia by 1996. In 2019, Kazakhstan ratified the TPNW and participates in the CTBT. Conversely, Russia is recognized as a nuclear-weapon state under the NPT, maintaining a considerable arsenal while engaging in disarmament discussions. Although Kazakhstan is non-nuclear, it still collaborates with Russia on military technology testing.
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