Syria Today | Syria calls for nuclear-free Middle East at NPT conference

Syria calls for nuclear-free Middle East at NPT conference

Syria called on the international community to compel Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), stressing the need for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons at the 2010 NPT review conference on May 5.

Addressing the conference, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York from May 3 to May 28, Syria's Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Ja'afari called on the international community to urge Israel to open all of its nuclear facilities to international inspection.

A work paper submitted to the conference by Syria said the NPT "could not achieve a balance between the three main axes of its goals" in its current form. The paper called for a halt to the "horizontal and vertical proliferation of nuclear weapons" and for the comprehensive dismantling of all types of nuclear weapons.

The paper also demanded that the international community abide by the provisions of Article IV of the NPT which gives all member countries the inalienable right to possess nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Syria also demanded complete non-interference in the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stressing its commitment to the agency's safeguard provisions provided that the body achieves a "fair balance" between its "supervision and safeguard activities" and those related to the "transfer of nuclear technology and its applications".

In 2003, Syria presented the UN Security Council with a proposal to rid the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, on behalf of the Arab League.