Astana hosts international conference on nuclear weapons

International conference From banning nuclear tests to a world free of nuclear weapons will begin its work at the Palace of Independence in Astana on Wednesday.

More than 200 foreign visitors from more than 75 countries and more than 20 international organizations, including the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived to Astana to participate in the conference.

"The issue of banning nuclear tests is very important question for Russia as a nuclear country. It is very good that Kazakhstan initiates such prestigious international conferences, where all countries can express their views on how to move toward disarmament," Chairman of Federation Council of Federal Assembly of Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko said in an interview with Trend.

She believes that interesting discussion will be held in the frame of the conference.

"I'm sure that a lot of interesting proposals will be made, which will be reflected in the final document of the conference in Astana," she said.

Kazakhstan became the initiator of the major international forum on renunciation of nuclear weapons and the proclamation of peace and harmony on the planet topics for the second time. President Nursultan Nazarbayev has put forward a number of initiatives in the field of nuclear disarmament: the cessation of nuclear testing, the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site, non-possession of nuclear arsenal.

Three years ago, Nazarbayev proposed the initiative to declare August 29 as World Day of renunciation of nuclear weapons, which was supported by the United Nations.