On December 5, 2024, SRSG for Central Asia and Head of UNRCCA Kaha Imnadze participated in the meeting of the States Parties to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) in Central Asia.
The event, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan as part of the country’s chairmanship of the Treaty, was dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Treaty’s entry into force.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the foreign ministries of Central Asian countries and Mongolia, heads of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the African Commission on Nuclear Energy, experts from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Turkmenistan, and representatives of the academic community.
Participants discussed mechanisms for interaction and the exchange of experience between zones, ensuring international security guarantees, and promoting the goals of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
In his remarks, Mr. Imnadze highlighted nuclear disarmament as vital to lobal peace and stability, urging collaborative efforts to eliminate nuclear risks. He noted that the efforts of Central Asia in this area are an example of effective regional collaboration and hold significant importance for the international community.
Special attention was given to the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Central Asian NWFZ and the African Commission on Nuclear Energy, signed in December 2023, as well as new agreements reached during the meeting.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a Final Document and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Asian NWFZ and the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL).///UNRCCA, 6 December 2024