Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Mexico, Almurat Turganbekov, visited the headquarters of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), where he met with the organization’s newly elected Secretary-General, Juan Carlos Ojeda, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
reports.
During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on current issues on the international agenda, including strengthening multilateral cooperation with the Republic of Kazakhstan, in its capacity as Chair of the Treaty of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ), and OPANAL.
Ambassador Almurat Turganbekov noted the important role of OPANAL in promoting initiatives aimed at building a nuclear-weapon-free world and expressed appreciation to the organization’s Secretariat for its consistent support of Kazakhstan’s initiatives in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In this context, the significance of the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between OPANAL and CANWFZ in December 2024 was emphasized.
Secretary-General Juan Carlos Ojeda, in turn, highly praised Astana’s contribution and efforts in consistently advancing the nuclear-weapon-free agenda both in Central Asia and at the global level. He informed the Kazakh side about the organization’s current activities and presented several proposals for further development of cooperation between OPANAL and CANWFZ.
The parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening cooperation among nuclear-weapon-free zones in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament.
During the conversation, Almurat Turganbekov also drew attention to the worsening situation in the Middle East and, in this regard, emphasized the need for further consolidation of international efforts to reduce risks in the field of nuclear security.
The Kazakh diplomat also informed his counterpart about the key provisions of the constitutional and political reforms being carried out in Kazakhstan, noting that a nationwide referendum on amendments to the Constitution will be held in the country on March 15, 2026. It was emphasized that these reforms represent a continuation of the consistent political and socio-economic transformations being implemented by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
In addition, Almurat Turganbekov informed about the upcoming large-scale event, the Regional Environmental Summit 2026, which aims to consolidate the efforts of the Central Asian countries, in partnership with the UN and other international organizations, to develop joint environmental solutions.
Juan Carlos Ojeda noted his awareness of the current developments in Kazakhstan and expressed interest in participating in the aforementioned event.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual intention to maintain regular dialogue and continue working to further strengthen the partnership between Kazakhstan and OPANAL in the field of nuclear non-proliferation.
