Kazakhstan ratifies Arms Trade Treaty
ASTANA. Oct 31 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has signed the Law on Ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty, his press service has said.
The Arms Trade Treaty was adopted by the majority of UN member-states on April 2, 2013 in New York. The document is aimed at introducing general international standards to regulate international trade in conventional armaments and preventing and eradicating their illicit trade and transfer.
According to the Kazakh parliament, the treaty applies to all types of conventional armaments in the following categories: combat tanks, armored fighting vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, combat helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, small arms, and light weapons.
The treaty will not affect Kazakhstan's export agreements, Deputy Defense Minister Talgat Mukhtarov said earlier.
"The treaty is fully directed at banning and preventing illicit arms turnover. Therefore, the treaty specifically states that its provisions by no means influence lawful deals of states on matters of armaments, [including exports]," he said.