Nuclear powers agreed never use atomic arms against Central Asia

National Journal reported that the five countries agreed a protocol, in line with which the nuclear power commit not to attack them with nuclear weapons or to threaten them with nuclear weapons and also respect the other treaty provisions banning the deployment or testing of atomic arms in Central Asia.

Under the forthcoming protocol, the nuclear powers also affirm that they also would keep these weapons out of the covered zone.

China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States will also recognize the Central Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone.

Agreement on Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia entered into force on 21 March 2009. The agreement was signed on 8 September 2006 in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. The agreement became significant contribution of Central Asia to strengthening of regional and global peace and security.

The treaty entered into force in 2009 without the world’s formally recognized nuclear-armed countries -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- agreeing to abide by its limits.

It took five years of “intensive consultations” for the five powers to agree to sign a protocol to the Central Asian treaty.

Russian and the United States expressed their readiness to sign the protocol in short time. After signing, the parliaments of China, France, Russia, Great Britain and the US should ratify the document.