Kazakhstan President: It is important to create powerful global anti-nuclear movement

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev talked about the need to create a strong global anti-nuclear movement, Tengrinews.kz reports from the International Nuclear-Free World Forum in Astana. “Adoption of this international act (General Declaration of Nuclear-Free World suggested by Nazarbayev at the 66th session of the UN General Assembly) is related to creation of the 21-century's integral system of global nuclear safety under strict control of the United Nations that will be vested with exceptional controlling rights. The path to nuclear-free world is impossible without joinT efforts of all the conscious people of the world, i.e. without global participation. It is important today to create a reputable and powerful global anti-nuclear movement. It would be important to talk about it at this forum and start organizing this movement at all the continents of the world,” Kazakhstan President said. According to him, the main objective of the movement will be not only to counter nuclear threat; it is important to persistently form an anti-nuclear mentality and develop an absolute rejection of all forms of nuclear weapons. “And I have big hopes for this forum in this relation. I personally, as a president of the country that closed down the nuclear test site, biew nuclear-free world is an absolute political axiom. Sometimes historical events interlace with events of a certain person's life. The year 1991 has become such case for me and my people. This is a year of our independence and the year the nuclear test site was closed down. The history's lessons make sense only if they are relevant for the future,” Nazarbayev said. The President thinks that it is necessary to consider future practices, nuclear safety of our children and grandchildren in 21st century. “I believe that this century our planet will get rid of nuclear self-destruction threat forever. I wish to all my fellow-thinkers who are gathered in this hall to succeed in their work,” he stated. The President also talked about the pressure imposed on him by Mikhail Gorbachev during the closure of Semipalatinsk test site. According to Nazarbayev, present generation insufficiently appreciates the significance of the closing the nuclear test site.