(NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE ZONES)

405 LEXINGTON AVENUE, 56TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10017, TEL. (212) 697-4830

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST MERCIFUL, THE MOST COMPASSIONATE.

MR. CHAIRMAN,

YOUR ESTEEMED AGENCY IS DISCUSSING TODAY THE

ISSUE OF NUCLEAR FREE ZONES. I WOULD LIKE TO AFFIRM

THAT THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA WELCOMES THE

CONTRIBUTION OF THE TREATIES OF "ANTARCTICA",

"ThATELOCO", "RAROTONGA", "BANGKOK", AND "PELINDABA",

WHICH ESTABLISHED NUCLEAR FREE ZONES IN MANY REGIONS.

THEY HAD A DIRECT EFFECT ON INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND

SECURITY.

MR. CHAIRMAN,

WHILE MANY REGIONS AROUND THE WORLD ARE

ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN ESTABLISHING NUCLEAR FREE ZONES

AS A RESULT OF THE CO-OPERATION AND A RECOGNITION OF

THE NEED FOR PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE AMONG THE

COUN'IRIES IN THOSE REGIONS, WE FIND THAT THE

INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL EFFORTS TO MAKE THE

MIDDLE EAST A NUCLEAR FREE ZONE ARE FRUIThESS. THIS IS

THE RESULT OF THE REFUSAL OF ONE COUNTRY, ISRAEL, TO CO-

OPERATE WITIl THESE EFFORTS. THUS, DESPITE THE MANY

GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTIONS TO ESTABLISH THE MIDDLE

EAST AS A NUCLEAR FREE ZONE SINCE 1974, THE LATEST OF

WHICH IS A/RE5153/74, S/RES/487 (1981) AND S/RES/687 (1991)

WHOSE PARAGRAPH 14 STIPULATES THAT IMPLEMENTING

SECTION C REPRESENTS A STEP TOWARDS THE OBJECTIVE OF

MAKING THE MIDDLE EAST A REGION FREE OF ALL WEAPONS OF

MASS DESTRUCTION, YET NO ACTION WAS TAKBN TO

IMPLEMENT THESE RESOLUTIONS BECAUSE OF THE OBJECTIONS

OF ISRAEL.

MR. CHAIRMAN,

I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT MEMBER STATES OF THE

ARAB LEAGUE ARE EXERTING GREAT EFFORTS SINCE 1994

THROUGH A TECIINICAL COMMITTEE IN THE FIELDS OF

NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS. THIS

COMMITTEE HAS PREPARED A DRAFT TREATY TO MAKE THE

MIDDLE EAST FREE OF ALL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

MR. CHAIRMAN,

ISRAEL CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO JOIN THE NUCLEAR

NON PROLIFERATION TREATY AND TO SUBJECT ITS NUCLEAR

FACILITIES TO INSPECTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC

ENERGY AGENCY. THUS, IT IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE

MIDDLE EAST WHICH HAS NUCLEAR PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT

SUBJECT TO INTERNATIONAL INSPECTION. THIS IS A VERY

DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT AFFECTS SECURJTY AND

STABILITY IN THE REGION AND THE WORLD AT LARGE.

IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL

CONSENSUS, AND REGIONAL DESIRE TO MAKE THE MIDDLE

EAST A NUCLEAR FREE ZONE, WHILE ISRAEL STANDS AS AN

OBSTACLE AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION

WHO ASPIRE TO LIVE IN AN AREA THAT IS FREE FROM NUCLEAR

TERROR.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.