CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES TO CREATE NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE

Three-day session of regional experts for elaboration of the Treaty on Nuclear-Free Zone in Central Asia started in Tashkent on 7 February. The session is aimed at adjustment of common position of Central Asian countries on the text of the Treaty on Nuclear-Free Zone in Central Asia relying upon motions and comments of the states that possess nuclear weapon, IAEA, Department for legal issues of UN Secretariat to Samarkand text of the Treaty draft. Representatives of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, as well as UN delegation led by Tsutomu Ishiguri, director of the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia-Pacific Region are participating in the event. Creation of nuclear-free zones started in various regions of the world upon adoption of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation. After gaining independence Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan among 188 world countries joined the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Uzbekistan proposed to found nuclear-free zone in Central Asia. On 7 February, the sides held bilateral consultations of experts on the Treaty text, which will be considered during plenary session.