28 February 2012

1. The signing ceremony on nuclear security projects of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which are funded by the Government of Japan, was held on 21 February, 2012 in Astana, under attendance of the Vice Minister for Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. B. Dzhaksaliev and two representatives of the Japan-Kazakhstan Committee on Cooperation for the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan: Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Y. Harada and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Committee Dr. T. Zhantikin.
2. At the ceremony Secretary-General of Japan-Kazakhstan Committee H. Sasaki signed the Financing contracts for strengthening the nuclear security system of the Ulba Metallurgical Plant and the Institute of Nuclear Physics, worth 337 million JPY (approx 4.3 million USD) and 89 million JPY (approx 1.1 million USD) respectively.
3. In November 2011, the Japan-Kazakhstan Committee on Cooperation for the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed the Implementing Arrangement on this cooperation, and in the following month the Committee and the International Atomic Energy Agency also agreed to jointly implement the physical protection training course in Kazakhstan.
4. This cooperation was already emphasized in the Japan’s National Statement at the first Nuclear Security Summit held in April, 2010 in Washington, and is expected to not only further strengthen the security measures in Kazakhstan but also contribute to the global efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism.