event

Kazakhstan’s Actions to Address Nuclear and Biological Risks

Tue. January 30th, 2024
Washington, DC

Upon the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan found itself in possession of the world’s fourth-largest nuclear weapons stockpile and the former union’s most significant biological weapons factory. Kazakhstan's subsequent decision to return and dismantle these weapons has solidified its position as a leader in nuclear and biological risk reduction. For the last thirty years, Kazakhstan’s actions have served as a core model for regional and international security.

Please join the Carnegie Endowment and the Council on Strategic Risks for a hybrid panel on Kazakhstan’s increasingly global role in the changing threat landscape of weapons of mass destruction. The discussion will feature Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United States of America Yerzhan Ashikbayev, the Honorable Andrew Weber, and Dr. Toghzan Kassenova. It will be moderated by Shannon Green, senior fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks.

Image: Maxar Technologies via Google

event speakers

Yerzhan Ashikbayev

Yerzhan Ashikbayev is ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United States of America.

Togzhan Kassenova

Nonresident Fellow, Nuclear Policy Program

Kassenova is a nonresident fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment.

Andrew Weber

Andy Weber is a senior fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks’ Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons. Mr. Weber has dedicated his professional life to countering nuclear, chemical, and biological threats and to strengthening global health security.

Shannon Green

Shannon Green is a senior fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks' Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons, focusing on chemical, biological, and nuclear issues.