Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision announced on Nov. 21 at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors to admit Kazakhstan to the agency’s Far East Regional Group.

In its Nov. 21 statement, the Kazakh ministry said the country’s accession to the regional group reflects an “important step toward restoring sovereign equality of member states within the IAEA.”

“It also reaffirms Astana’s commitment to promoting peace and global security, as well as to strengthening the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime,” the ministry said.

Being part of the group allows Kazakhstan to fully participate in the work of the IAEA’s governing bodies.

“As an active promoter of international efforts aimed at building a world free from the threats of weapons of mass destruction, Kazakhstan stands ready to continue making a constructive contribution to the advancement of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the responsible application of nuclear technologies, and the strengthening of international mechanisms of confidence and transparency,” the ministry said.

At home, Kazakhstan is building its first nuclear power plant. It has also announced plans for the second and third nuclear power plants.

Kazakhstan is among the many countries promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Addressing the IAEA board of governors on Nov. 19, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi highlighted the “growing global momentum behind nuclear.” Across 31 countries, 416 nuclear reactors with more than 376 gigawatts of capacity generate nearly 10% of the world’s electricity.

“The need for nuclear energy is no longer a topic of debate. The world agrees that we must invest in more nuclear capacity. Many countries are looking to nuclear for energy security and to meet their social, economic and environmental goals,” said Grossi.  

“Today, 63 reactors totalling nearly 20 gigawatts of installed capacity are under construction in 15 countries, three of which are newcomers to nuclear power,” he added.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-geneva/press/news/details/1111106?lang=kk