Eldor Aripov: Uzbekistan is consistently strengthening the regional nuclear security architecture

On June 26, an expert discussion titled “A safe nuclear future for Central Asia: from non-proliferation to risk management” was held in Tashkent as part of the Tashkent Dialogue on the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ).

The event was jointly organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), the Institute of Advanced International Studies at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (United States).

Opening the forum, Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), provided an assessment of the development of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ), highlighting its key achievements, current challenges, and priorities for further strengthening regional security.

He emphasized that over the past two decades, the CANWFZ has proven effective in ensuring regional security, strategic predictability, and mutual trust among the Central Asian states. According to him, it has become a model of successful regional cooperation, demonstrating how the region’s countries have built a sustainable framework grounded in shared commitments.

Mr. Aripov recalled that Uzbekistan first proposed establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone at the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. The initiative was realized through the signing of the Semipalatinsk Treaty in 2006, which reaffirmed the region’s commitment to peace, stability, and good-neighborly relations.

The ISRS Director emphasized that the CANWFZ holds a unique place in the global non-proliferation architecture. It is the world’s first nuclear-weapon-free zone entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and bordering two nuclear-weapon states. Legally binding security assurances against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons have further strengthened Central Asia's strategic stability.

At the same time, the ISRS Director noted that the anniversary of the CANWFZ should serve not only as an opportunity to reflect on past achievements but also as a moment to reassess the evolving international security landscape. Today, the global arms control regime faces a profound crisis: the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty is no longer in force, uncertainty persists over the future of the New START Treaty, and the Review Conferences of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) increasingly conclude without a consensus final document.

“The world around us has not become more predictable. On the contrary, geopolitical tensions have intensified, nuclear rhetoric has become more pronounced, and trust among major powers has declined significantly”, Mr. Aripov stated. In his view, these developments make regional security mechanisms that provide predictability, legal assurances, and confidence-building more important than ever.

The ISRS Director stated that the region’s nuclear-weapon-free status should now be viewed not only as an international legal commitment but also as an integral component of Central Asia’s strategic identity. Its long-term sustainability depends on the effective implementation of existing commitments through cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the training of qualified specialists, the development of national regulatory frameworks, and robust mechanisms for transparency and verification.

Particular attention was devoted to the development of peaceful nuclear energy. Uzbekistan is implementing a national nuclear energy program, Kazakhstan remains one of the world’s leading uranium producers, and Central Asia is emerging as a key transport and logistics hub across Eurasia. At the same time, radiological, infrastructure, and environmental risks continue to grow.

“This is precisely why it is essential to move beyond the traditional non-proliferation agenda toward effective risk management”, the ISRS Director stressed. Among the key priorities, he identified the physical protection of nuclear facilities, cross-border information exchange, human resource development, and the enhancement of monitoring and emergency response mechanisms. Verification and transparency, he added, remain the cornerstone of long-term regional stability.

In conclusion, Mr. Aripov noted that Central Asia has successfully transformed from a region associated with nuclear testing into a nuclear-weapon-free zone. He said the next strategic objective should be to develop a comprehensive nuclear security culture. He expressed confidence that the dialogue would yield practical recommendations to strengthen regional security and expand cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The forum brought together more than 50 participants from Uzbekistan and the United States, including senior government officials, leading experts from think tanks, and specialists from research institutions working in nuclear security, non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Participants also included former White House and U.S. National Security Council officials, as well as scholars and international affairs experts from leading universities, including Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge.

The Uzbekistan delegation included senior officials and experts from the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences, the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS), the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, the International Institute for Central Asia, the Center for Advanced Policy Studies, Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies, the Higher School of Strategic Analysis and Forecasting, and the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED).

UzA