Astana (Kazakhstan), 10th-14th October 2011 - A delegation from Mayors for Peace leadership - Nagasaki and Ypres- joined the International Forum for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World in Astana. A warm welcome and four days of very interesting meetings, discussions and visits were on the agenda.
The Mayors for Peace delegation was lead by Vice President Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki. Nagasaki's report will be available soon; what follows is the report of the Ypres participants.
A delegation from the city of Ieper went to the International Forum for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World in Astana. A warm welcome and four days of very interesting meetings, discussions and visits were on the agenda.
Jan Breyne, senior advisor to Mayors for Peace and Herman Baron, Alderman of the city of Ieper, went on a four day trip to Kazakhstan. The trip included a meeting with the Mayor of Astana, Mr. Tasmagambetov, an International Forum in Astana and a visit to the test site in Semepalatinsk (Semey). The site of Semey left a deep impression on our delegation. When a person sees the devastating consequences of decades of nuclear testing, powerlessness takes over. But not here! The country of Kazakhstan showed all the delegations present that it is possible to change. It is possible to get rid of nuclear weapons and to turn the tide on nuclear proliferation.
During the visit, the Mayors for Peace/Ieper delegation frequently provided good publicity for Mayors for Peace and for the city of Ieper. They shared the common thoughts of Mayors for Peace and Kazakhstan and linked the history of both regions. Cities and regions are not targets.
It was a very interesting trip, providing the delegation with the opportunity to learn more about the position of Kazakhstan towards nuclear disarmament, and we think Kazakhstan can be a strong ally of Mayors for Peace in its struggle for a nuclear-free world. Kazakhstan is today one of the world’s leading countries in banning all nuclear weapons. The visit showed that the partnership between Kazakhstan and Mayors for Peace is a natural evolution towards a nuclear fee world.
The most important point on the agenda was the International Forum. During the Forum, Jan Breyne spoke to a full conference room straight from the heart. You can read the speech here (written by Aaron Tovish). Among the participants were Mr. Saudabayev, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Lakhdar Brahimi and Yukiya Amano (Secretary-General of IAEA). The delegation also met the mayor of Nagasaki, Mr. Taue. It was a heart warming reunion with one of the strong mayors behind Mayors for Peace.
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