Kuwait renews demands for nuke-free Mideast
NEW YORK: The State of Kuwait has reiterated its firm stance on the issues of disarmament and international security and to work on eliminating weapons of mass destruction. This came in Kuwait speech delivered to the meeting of the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, by adviser of Kuwait’s permanent delegation to the United Nations Talal Al-Fassam on Tuesday evening.
Fassam said, “We must remember the experiences we have had together and perhaps find the right way to achieve our common goals of freeing the world from nuclear weapons.” Kuwait renews its invitation to the three sponsors of the Middle East Resolution issued by the 1995 Review Conference, which is an integral part of the indefinite extension of the Treaty to assume their responsibilities in implementing that resolution, he added.
He pointed out that the three nations are aware of the strenuous efforts made by the State of Kuwait and the Arab countries and the many concessions they have made over the past seven years in order to hold the postponed Helsinki Conference. Kuwait is now looking forward to a pivotal role for the three sponsoring countries by taking the initiative to find the appropriate way to establish a nuclearweapon-free zone in the Middle East based on the 1995, 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences.
He explained that more than 22 years have passed since the indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995. Since that year, the State of Kuwait has joined along with Arab States 13 meetings of the Preparatory Committees for the Review Conference, three NPT Review Conferences and 22 conferences of the First Committee on disarmament and international security.
“After all these efforts, we are still considering the implementation of what was agreed upon in 1995 for the establishment of a nuclearweapon-free zone in the Middle East. In 2010, we were very close to achieving specific steps towards implementing what our peoples aspired to when the Action Plan at the Review Conference was adopted,” he said.
Fassam said the plan called for convening a conference to establish a nuclear-weaponfree zone in the Middle East. Unfortunately, all these faltered when Israel hampered convention of the conference. He expressed concern over Israel’s continued refusal to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or even sign the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to avoid unveiling the number of its nuclear facilities or even allowing the IAEA’s inspectors to carry out their mission. — KUNA