Cooperation to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons is an integral part of the strategic partnership between the United States and Kazakhstan.
As part of this cooperation, officials from both countries met to discuss ways our countries can work together to prevent nuclear smuggling and to strengthen international and regional cooperation in order to investigate and prosecute persons and groups who attempt to engage in nuclear smuggling, the press service of the US Diplomatic Mission to Kazakhstan informs.
In these discussions, the United States and Kazakhstan reaffirmed the need to prevent terrorists and other criminals from acquiring nuclear or radioactive material, and shared best practices for a coordinated and effective response to nuclear and radiological smuggling incidents. In addition, both sides shared information on current global smuggling threats and trends in order to improve investigations and prosecutions of smugglers.
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To further enhance mutual efforts to counter nuclear smuggling, the United States and Kazakhstan discussed best practices in the areas of nuclear detection, nuclear forensics, law enforcement, development of new radiation detection technologies, and they identified areas for additional training and cooperation. Both sides also agreed to develop a regional training Center for countering nuclear threats in Kazakhstan, which would encompass existing cooperation on Material, Protection, Control and Accounting and develop further capacity in the area of countering nuclear smuggling.
President's Aide - Secretary of the Security Council of Kazakhstan Marat Tazhin has met with the US delegation led by high-ranking officials of the Department of State and Department of Defense.
The parties shared views on issues of mutual interest, as well as the maintenance of regional security in Central Asia and stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan.
US Ambassador to Kazakhstan Kenneth Fairfax stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Ambassador Kenneth Fairfax met with graduate and PhD students and professors of Gumilyov Eurasian National University in Astana .
Ambassador Fairfax discussed America's public diplomacy overseas including cultural and educational programs and media outreach. The rector of the university, Yerlan Sadykov and students asked questions on topics ranging from America's foreign policy to the process of becoming an American diplomat.
The US hopes for a peaceful solution of the Iranian issue. US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kazakhstan Kenneth Fairfax has announced, answering questions of the students of the Academy of Public Administration under the Kazakh President.
"The last sanctions were adopted last week. The only role of these sanctions lies in the fact that Iran should not become a state having nuclear weapons. If Iran becomes such a state, it will be a signal of the greatest threat to the whole world," K.Faifax said.
The US Ambassador outlined that in the past few years there were held diplomatic discussions on this matter, after which sanctions against Iran were adopted.
"We do not give up and continue to hope and seek a peaceful solution," Fairfax resumed.
World media monitoring
24.02.2012
