Uzbekistan Reaffirms CTBT Commitment at Ashgabat Summit

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Thirty years after the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opened for signature, Central Asia's nuclear-free credentials remain its most distinctive contribution to global security — and Uzbekistan used a high-level anniversary gathering to underscore them.

Deputy Foreign Minister Bobur Usmanov represented Uzbekistan at a high-level meeting in Ashgabat on June 8, organised by the Turkmenistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark the CTBT's thirtieth anniversary. The gathering brought together Central Asian states to review collective progress on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation and to discuss the treaty's future reach and implementation effectiveness.

Participants confirmed their commitment to the CTBT's objectives and to the broader goals of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. Central Asia was held up at the meeting as a model of successful regional cooperation on nuclear security — a characterisation anchored in a landmark the region achieved ahead of any other in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Uzbek delegation presented the country's contribution to the international disarmament and nonproliferation regime, with particular emphasis on Uzbekistan's role in establishing the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone — the first such zone created in the Northern Hemisphere. Uzbekistan ratified the CTBT on May 29, 1997, placing it among the earliest states to complete all accession procedures to the treaty.

CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd underscored the significance of Central Asia's contribution to global efforts to end nuclear testing, stating that nuclear-weapon-free zones represent an effective mechanism for preventing nuclear threats and building trust between states.

The meeting also addressed prospects for expanding the treaty's membership — a perennial challenge given that the CTBT cannot formally enter into force until all 44 states listed in its Annex 2 ratify it, with eight including the United States, China, India, and Pakistan yet to do so.