LM Report 2005

Kazakhstan

Key developments since May 2004:  Kazakhstan reported that it is preparing to develop a two-year plan for stockpile destruction.

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Kazakhstan has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In December 2004, Kazakhstan told Mine Ban Treaty States Parties that “technically and financially” it is “not yet ready to destroy antipersonnel mines.” It also cited its extensive borders whose defense might require “use of landmines in frontier areas under certain circumstances.”^[1] In April 2004, government officials told a visiting ICBL delegation that Kazakhstan “fully supports the humanitarian focus of the Convention,” but it is unable to join at this time.^[2] First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kairat Kuatuly Abuseitov, told the ICBL that Kazakhstan views antipersonnel mines as an indispensable tool to guard its borders and no affordable alternatives are available. He also stated that there was a “strong no from the military sector” when Kazakhstan’s stance on joining the Mine Ban Treaty was last reviewed.^[3]

Kazakhstan participated in the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in Nairobi in November-December 2004. Its head of delegation said that Kazakhstan realizes that antipersonnel mines are among “the most antihumane types of conventional weapons,” and have “led to an overwhelming humane calamity.” Ambassador Jarbussynova spoke of Kazakhstan’s “unwavering support to the humane nature and goals of the Convention,” and said that while “not yet party to it Kazakhstan accepts its main norms and complies with them.” She said Kazakhstan “is determined to create conditions favorable for destruction of landmines. Together with 17 states in Asia we have been successfully working on confidence building measures in the framework of the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) process.... And we strongly believe that progressive development of this process...will bring us to the acknowledgement that no landmines are needed to make our states safe and secure.”^[4]

On 3 December 2004, Kazakhstan abstained from voting on UN General Assembly Resolution 59/84, calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty; it has abstained on similar UNGA resolutions each year since 1997. Kazakhstan did not attend the meetings of the intersessional Standing Committees in Geneva in June 2005.

Kazakhstan is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons or its Amended Protocol II on landmines.

Production, Transfer and Stockpiling

Kazakhstan has stated that it does not produce antipersonnel mines and has had an export moratorium, including a prohibition on transit, in effect since 1997.^[5]

In April 2005, an official told Landmine Monitor that Kazakhstan has realized the time to start destroying stockpiled landmines is coming up. He said that Kazakhstan is preparing to develop a two-year plan for stockpile destruction. He said the destruction program will require additional resources- money and time.^[6] Although there is no official confirmation, Landmine Monitor assumes that most or all of these mines are expired.

In April 2004, the First Vice-Minister estimated that it could cost US$3 million to destroy Kazakhstan’s antipersonnel mine stockpile.^[7] The size of its antipersonnel mine stockpile is not known, but a 1998 media report estimated that the government has between 800,000 and one million antipersonnel mines^[8]. Kazakhstan has stated that it “adheres to the established requirements with regard to stockpiling of antipersonnel mines, thus promoting safety.”^[9]

Landmine Use, Landmine Problem and Mine Action

Government officials have at times denied the existence of minefields in Kazakhstan, and at other times acknowledged the use of landmines in border areas.^[10] At the First Review Conference, Kazakhstan stated that it “has no minefields subject to clearing,” but also said that antipersonnel mines “are in restricted use only as safety measures being installed years ago to promote security.”^[11] Kazakhstan’s President wrote to the UN Secretary-General in July 2004, “I would like to emphasize that there are no mined fields in Kazakhstan requiring their demining.”^[12] In April 2004, a foreign ministry official told Landmine Monitor that landmines in Kazakhstan “are supposed to be used in border passages.” He asserted that “there is not humanitarian damage” because the border passages “are not residential and are not pastures. The military ensures that the population is not affected.”^[13] However, on the same day, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that there are no mines on Kazakhstan’s borders.^[14]

Kazakhstan has provided military personnel for duties, including mine clearance in Iraq.^[15]

^[1] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World (First Review Conference), Nairobi, 3 December 2004.

^[2] Interview with Arman Baissuanov, Chief of International Security Section, Department of International Organizations and International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.

^[3] Interview with Kairat Kuatuly Abuseitov, First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.

^[4] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004.

^[5] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004. The statement cites the “Regulations On Prohibition of Antipersonnel Mines Export” issued 6 August 1997. See also, letter from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 5 July 2004, which mentions the ban on transit. Also, interview with Arman Baissuanov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.

^[6] Interview with Arman Baissuanov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2005.

^[7] Interview with Kairat Kuatuly Abuseitov, First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.[8] Adil Urmanov, “Blind Weapon,” Delovaiya Nedeliya (Kazakh newspaper), 12 June 1998, p. 8.

^[9] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004.

^[10] See for example, letter from E. Kazykhanov, Director of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation, Embassy of Kazakhstan in Moscow, Russian Federation, in response to IPPNW-Russia inquiry. Letter No.20/178, 19 April 2000.

^[11] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004.

^[12] Letter from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 5 July 2004.

^[13] Interview with Arman Baissuanov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.

^[14] Interview with Kairat Kuatuly Abuseitov, First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.

^[15] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1017.