Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made a statement on social networks on August 29, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests.
According to him, the people of Kazakhstan have experienced the most severe consequences of nuclear tests, and such a tragedy must not be repeated anywhere else.
"This date was designated by the UN precisely on Kazakhstan's initiative. We must completely renounce nuclear tests for future generations and strengthen peace and security," the president says.
From 1949 to 1989, the USSR conducted over 450 above-ground and underground nuclear explosions at the "Semipalatinsk" nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. As a result, a vast area was contaminated with radiation, causing serious harm to the health of hundreds of thousands of people.
The test site was officially closed on August 29, 1991. Kazakhstan became one of the first countries to voluntarily renounce nuclear weapons.
In recent years, the issue of providing additional social protection to the population affected by the tests has been raised frequently. In particular, in 2023, deputies proposed granting citizens in this category the possibility of early retirement.
According to the proposal, men with 25 years of service could retire at age 55, and women with 20 years of service could retire at age 50.
