On October 12-13, 2011 to mark the historic 20th Anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and to continue its efforts aimed at completing elimination of the nuclear threat, Kazakhstan will host the International Forum for Nuclear Weapons Free World in the capital of Astana.

“The Soviet era nuclear test site, which functioned on Kazakh soil for decades, was the world’s largest and home to 456 nuclear explosions. The total radiological effect is equivalent to 116 Chernobyl accidents. The consequences to our people and environment will be felt for a long time. I am very proud that one of my first orders of business as President of Kazakhstan was a decree I signed ordering its closure,” Nazarbayev said, while announcing Forum recently.

The Forum’s main goal will be to build international support for the UN resolution on proclaiming August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests which the General Assembly adopted unanimously in Continue reading →