The decision of Kazakhstan government to denuclearize was a result of complex internal and external processes. There were different options of how to deal with the Soviet nuclear heritage left on the Republic's territory. The decision-making process within Kazakhstan on how to proceed was rather ambivalent. In this light, it would be a worthwhile exercise to provide an account of events and factors, which influenced the final decision of Kazakhstan to give up the nuclear weapons.

In recent years, one of the most pressing problems for international security has been unsanctioned development of nuclear programs in several countries. The cases of North Korea, Iran, Iraq and others demonstrate that there is an acute need of developing response to the countries' intentions to go nuclear. The current challenge facing the international community of several countries turning de-facto or aspiring to acquire nuclear capabilities creates another important reason for undertaking this study. Although, Kazakhstan's case is unique and cannot be projected fully on other countries (since Kazakhstan never aspired to become a nuclear state but rather was a de-facto state with nuclear weapons on its territory), it can still provide very important lessons of how to solve unprecedented security dilemmas. The range of external measures (security guarantees from nuclear states, economic and political incentives provided by the international community) played a significant role in Kazakhstan's decision to denuclearize. In this sense, that experience, at least, partly, can be applied to other countries.

The aims of the project is to deliver a comprehensive account of events leading to Kazakhstan's denuclearization, a description of main policy options debated within the country, and an analysis of key factors that led to the decision of Kazakhstan's leadership to denuclearize. Based on the above, an attempt will be made to highlight the lessons for current security challenges associated with the proliferation of nuclear weapon programs in different regions of the world.