20 years ago the Republic of Belarus joined the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus on the 20th Anniversary of Belarus’ Accession to the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty
20 years ago, on July 22, 1993 the Republic of Belarus joined the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty. By signing in 1992 together with Kazakhstan and Ukraine Lisbon Protocol to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed between USA and USSR in 1991, Belarus undertook the obligation to join Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty as non-nuclear armed country and became the full member of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty till it expired in December 2009.
The Republic of Belarus became the first state to voluntary denounce the possibility to possess nuclear weapons inherited from the former Soviet Union without any conditions and reservations. The withdrawal of nuclear weapons from the territory of Belarus was completed in November 1996.
Belarus’ contribution into the nuclear disarmament process is recognized by the world community and is confirmed by a number of international documents.
The decision of the Belarusian side set the tone for further steps in the sphere of nuclear disarmament in the post-Soviet area that fundamentally changed the dynamics of the disarmament processes and opened the door for the new initiatives in the abovementioned direction.
The Belarusian side proceeds from the assumption that the obligation of the states to pursue negotiations on effective measures relating to nuclear disarmament constitutes main strategic goal of the Treaty and is for reasonable and phased approach to the nuclear disarmament, and for conferring multilateral and irreversible character on the process.
Considering Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty as one of the basic elements of the international security system and strategic stability, Belarus is intended to further make contribution to strengthening global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime.