Kazakhstan welcomes the progress in the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA) on the regulation of the situation around Iran’s nuclear programme, as well as the possibility for our country to be directly involved in this process.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, acting as coordinator of the Joint Commission of “P5+1”, a group of six of international mediators (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), and Iran, appealed to Kazakhstan with the request to assist in the implementation of the JCPOA.
Taking into account that political and diplomatic solution is the only right way to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme and considering historical significance of the adoption of the JCPOA, which will significantly strengthen regional and international security, as well as contribute to normalisation of Iran’s relations with the international community, positively impact the economic and social development of all countries in the region and improve Kazakh-Iranian relations, Kazakhstan decided to satisfy the request of Joint Commission of “P5+1” and Iran.
Based on this decision, on December 27, 2015 in coordination with “P5+1”, Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and relevant structures of the UN Security Council, JSC “National Atomic Company “Kazatomprom” supplied Iran with 60 metric tons of natural uranium on commercial terms as compensation for the removal of low-enriched uranium (LEU) from that country specified in the JCPOA.
Kazakhstan has always supported the process of international negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme and made a practical contribution to it. Upon my initiative, in 2013 Almaty hosted two rounds of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, which contributed to the resumption of negotiations between “P5+1” and Iran. We are proud that the results of those two rounds of talks in Almaty have served as foundation for JCPOA adopted two years later.
Kazakhstan has also consistently contributed to the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime. Yet another step in this direction was the signing of the agreement between Kazakhstan and the IAEA in August 2015 on the establishment of the IAEA LEU Bank in our country, which will make an important contribution to strengthening the security of the global nuclear fuel cycle.
We believe that strict implementation of the agreements achieved between “P5+1” and Iran in July 2015 will further strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime, as well as ensure implementation of legal and absolute rights of every Member State of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to develop peaceful nuclear activities provided they fully observe the provisions of NPT, the Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA and the Additional Protocol to it.
Today, thanks to constructive cooperation among “P5+1”, Iran as well as a number of other countries, the implementation of these agreements has begun. We believe such cooperation could be the prologue of a new paradigm of relations on the global level, characterised by trust and desire to seek successful solutions for complex problems peacefully.
In September 2015, in my speech at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, I called on the international community to make the creation of a world without nuclear weapons the main goal of humanity in the 21st century. In Kazakhstan, we are convinced that the goal of building a world free from the nuclear threat is achievable only through the strong political will of all states.