Title: Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the closing of the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site in Kazakhstan.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution applauds Kazakhstan's 30-year commitment to nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. It also recognizes that Kazakhstan has committed to strengthening the U.S.-Kazakhstan relationship by working on issues such as keeping the world safe from nuclear weapons.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 616 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 616

 Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the closing of the Semipalatinsk 
                nuclear weapons test site in Kazakhstan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 31, 2021

    Ms. Titus (for herself and Mr. Chabot) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the closing of the Semipalatinsk 
                nuclear weapons test site in Kazakhstan.

Whereas upon the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, Kazakhstan inherited 
        the fourth largest nuclear arsenal as well as one of the largest nuclear 
        test sites, the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site;
Whereas despite global pressure from outside actors, as well as the potential 
        political and strategic advantages that such an arsenal could provide 
        for Kazakhstan, the newly formed republic understood the potential 
        political, security, and humanitarian consequences that could arise if 
        such an arsenal were maintained;
Whereas the Nevada-Semipalatinsk Anti-Nuclear Movement, a grassroots movement 
        that called for the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test 
        site as well as a moratorium on all nuclear testing in the former Soviet 
        Union, was critical in organizing support for the closure of the test 
        site;
Whereas Kazakhstan's first President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, recognized the 
        harmful impact to over two million Kazakhs following 456 nuclear tests 
        performed by the former Soviet Union at the Semipalatinsk nuclear 
        weapons test site;
Whereas President Nazarbayev made the historic decision to officially close the 
        Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site on August 29, 1991, while 
        Kazakhstan was still part of the Soviet Union;
Whereas Kazakhstan's commitment to nuclear nonproliferation became one of its 
        landmark policies, which remains as important today as it was 30 years 
        ago;
Whereas, in 2009, the United Nations declared August 29 as ``International Day 
        against Nuclear Tests'', which is annually commemorated by the United 
        Nations General Assembly and in many other locations worldwide;
Whereas the House of Representatives recognizes the 12th annual ``International 
        Day against Nuclear Tests'';
Whereas the historic step of closing the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site 
        paved the way, five years later, for the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test 
        Ban Treaty, which resulted in an almost-universal moratorium on nuclear 
        testing;
Whereas the nuclear infrastructure elimination program at the former 
        Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site has been carried out in 
        accordance with an intergovernmental agreement between the Republic of 
        Kazakhstan and the United States via the Cooperative Threat Reduction 
        Program, which worked to dismantle nuclear weapons and associated 
        infrastructure as well as the conversion of post-Soviet Union military 
        technology, to peaceful civilian applications;
Whereas the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, developed by the United States 
        and first initiated by former Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar and is 
        often referred to as the ``Nunn-Lugar Program'', has led to significant 
        cleanup at the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site and its 
        surrounding territories;
Whereas Kazakhstan and the United States successfully implemented ``Project 
        Sapphire'' to remove more than 1,200 pounds of highly enriched uranium 
        from Kazakhstan to the United States;
Whereas the United States has committed to assisting in safely eliminating 
        existing nuclear infrastructure in Kazakhstan by providing necessary 
        services and equipment and related personnel training for permanent 
        closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site;
Whereas Kazakhstan became a steadfast supporter of building a world free of 
        nuclear weapons and has remained a committed partner to the United 
        States in working toward strengthening the global regime for 
        nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction;
Whereas Kazakhstan actively participated at the highest level in the United 
        States-led Nuclear Security Summit initiatives between 2010 and 2016, 
        which resulted in Kazakhstan's improved system of export control of 
        nuclear materials, physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear 
        facilities, conversion of highly enriched uranium reactors to low-
        enriched uranium, and securing of spent nuclear fuel;
Whereas Kazakhstan garnered the support of the United States and other global 
        partners for the establishment in 2019 of the International Atomic 
        Energy Agency low-enriched uranium bank at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant 
        in Oskemen, Kazakhstan, thereby creating a dependable supply mechanism 
        for countries that have decided not to develop uranium enrichment 
        capabilities and promoting nuclear nonproliferation;
Whereas nonproliferation was one of Kazakhstan's highest priorities during its 
        tenure as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council 
        in 2017 and 2018;
Whereas Kazakhstan continues to serve as a role model for nuclear 
        nonproliferation and regularly calls upon other countries to relinquish 
        existing arsenals or capabilities, because risk reduction is an 
        essential and necessary component of disarmament efforts and a means to 
        help prevent the potential devastation of nuclear war; and
Whereas Kazakhstan continues to strengthen the 30-year United States bilateral 
        relationship on policy issues across multiple sectors beyond just 
        nonproliferation including security cooperation, human rights, and 
        Kazakhstan's continued strong commitment to the rule of law: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) applauds Kazakhstan's 30-year commitment to nuclear 
        nonproliferation and disarmament, as such actions are essential 
        to seeking a world without nuclear weapons;
            (2) acknowledges that Kazakhstan's experience in disarming 
        itself of nuclear weapons following the fall of the Soviet 
        Union continues to serve as a model for other countries; and
            (3) recognizes that Kazakhstan has committed to continuing 
        to strengthen the United States-Kazakhstan bilateral 
        relationship by, among other issues, continuing to work in 
        partnership with the United States on initiatives to keep the 
        world safe from nuclear weapons.
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