Five former republics of the Soviet Union in Central Asia have created a nuclear-free zone. The agreement is an important step forward for the global nonproliferation regime at a time when that order is under assault on multiple fronts.
The governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signed the treaty, which bans the production, acquisition or deployment of nuclear weapons or their components as well as nuclear explosives, and forbids the hosting or transport of nuclear weapons or materials for third parties. In essence, it creates a nuclear-weapons-free zone that is about 3.8 million sq. km in size and includes some 60 million people. In addition, the five nations committed to enhanced International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards regarding security of nuclear facilities and radioactive waste.
The treaty makes a great deal of sense. The five Central Asian governments recognize that nuclear weapons do not enhance their security. In fact, at the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan inherited many weapons of the former Soviet arsenal; for a brief period it was the fourth-largest nuclear-weapons state. To his credit, President Nursultan Nazarbaev quickly gave up those weapons and had them returned to Russia.