EU Statement on Middle East Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Resolutions

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE
FOR THE 2000 REVIEW CONFERENCE
OF THE PARTIES TO THE TREATY
ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION
OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

SECOND SESSION

GENEVA, 27 APRIL - 8 MAY 1998

STATEMENT ON

MIDDLE EAST NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONE RESOLUTIONS

THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
UNITED KINGDOM

ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Geneva, 4 May 1998

Check against delivery

1. Mr Chairman, I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the European Union as well as on behalf of the Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) and the Associated Country Cyprus. Iceland and Norway, EFTA countries members of the European Economic Area, also align themselves with this statement.

2. The European Union supports the creation of Nuclear Weapon Free Zones which, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the States concerned, make a valuable contribution to global and regional peace and security.

3. The European Union notes that the creation of such zones is fully consistent with Article VII of the NPT and was encouraged as a matter of priority by the 1995 Review and Extension Conference in its decision on Principles and objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament which was adopted unanimously.

4. The European Union supports calls for the establishment of a zone free from all weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, provided that all States in the region are involved. To facilitate the establishment of such a zone the Union believes all States in the Middle East which have nor yet done so should accede to the NPT and the Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions.

5. With regard to NPT accession, the EU recognises that universal adherence to the Treaty is an urgent requirement. The European Union therefore recommends all States Parties should make every effort to achieve this objective, and calls on all States not yet party to the Treaty to accede to it at the earliest date, particularly those States that operate unsafeguarded facilities.

6. In this respect, the Union refers States Parties to the Common Position recently adopted by the EU Council of Ministers which states that the objective of the European Union shall be to strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime by promoting the successful outcome of the NPT 2000 Review Conference; and that for the purposes of this objective the EU shall, where appropriate, pursue efforts to convince States which are not yet parties to the NPT, in particular those States that operate unsafeguarded facilities, to accede to the Treaty, where possible before 2000.

7. The European Union recognises that progress on these matters would be greatly facilitated by a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

8. The European Union continues to follow closely the situation in the Middle East Peace Process. It welcomes the agreement of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Arafat to meet US Secretary of State Albright in London today (4 May), as well as additional meetings of all three with the Presidency. These meetings represent an important opportunity to renew the momentum in the negotiations. In this context, the European Union strongly urges the parties to approach the London meetings with the necessary determination to find a compromise along the lines put to them by the US. The EU is ready to facilitate progress.