Invitation Program of Officials from Kazakhstan to Japan

April 24, 2024

    　As part of the Japan-Kazakhstan Cooperation for the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan, a total of seven Kazakhstan officials, led by Mr.Sergazin, Director of the Department of Atomic Energy and Industry, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, were invited to Japan, where they stayed from April 1 to April 5, 2024.

    　Within the framework of the “Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan concerning Cooperation for the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Establishment of a Committee on this Cooperation” signed in 1994, approximately 1.8 billion yen had been provided. Over 30 years, various projects have been carried out successfully, among others, for assisting the establishment of the State System of Accounting and Control (SSAC), providing equipment for reducing radioactive contamination in the vicinity of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and also equipment for strengthening nuclear security in Kazakhstan. The Agreement will expire in August this year, and this visit was realized as the last cooperation project under the Agreement.
    　During their visit to Japan, the Kazakh delegation paid a courtesy call on the Parliamentary Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and exchanged views with officials of relevant departments of the MOFA. The delegation also visited the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN, a subsidiary of JAEA), and exchanged views and information with their officials.
    　Through a series of meetings and discussions, the Japanese side (MOFA, METI, NRA and JAEA/ISCN) welcomed the Kazakh delegation and expressed their appreciation for the successful completion of the denuclearization-related cooperation projects.
    　In response, Mr. Sergazin expressed his gratitude, on behalf of the Kazakh delegation, for Japan’s cooperation with Kazakhstan in relation to the elimination of nuclear weapons. He also stated that the visit to Japan was very productive and mentioned the possibility of future cooperation between Japan and Kazakhstan in the field of nuclear energy.