NEW YORK, May 23 (KUNA) -- The 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review has closed its session with the failure of adopting a final consensus on Middle East Nuclear free zone.
The conference that kicked off here at the UN headquarters on April 27th was Presided by Ambassador Taous Feroukhi of Algeria, ended, late on Friday, without agreement after the US, UK and Canada opposed.
Iran representing the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), asked for more time to consider the final proposed document, but came back to the session without an agreement.
During the closing session, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller told the attendees in her speech that unfortunately the proposed language for a final document did not allow for consensus discussions among the countries of the Middle East for an agreement on the agenda and the modalities of the conference and set an arbitrary deadline for holding the conference.
"We attempted to work with other delegations-in particular, Egypt and other Arab League states-to improve the text; but a number of these states, and in particular Egypt, were not willing to let go of these unrealistic and unworkable conditions included in the draft text," she stressed.
In the end, Gottemoeller of the US said the proposed final document outlined a process that would not build the foundation of trust necessary for holding a productive conference that could reflect the concerns of all regional states.
Moreover, she stressed that the US is also disappointed that the failure to show flexibility leaves with no clearly defined path to convene a conference on the Middle East free zone.
On the other hand, Egypt expressed disappointment at the end of conference, after a month of diligent work. By blocking this consensus, Egypt's representative said, "we are depriving the middle east of a better future, away from the horrors of nuclear weapons." Earlier this month, Kuwait Permanent Representative to the UN Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi reaffirmed Kuwait's unshaken commitment to the outcomes of conferences on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
Delivering his country's statement to the conference, Ambassador Al-Otaibi said Kuwait believes in the central role of the NPT in promoting international peace and security.
The Review Conference, held this year with more than 100 governments taking part, aimed to consider, inter alia, the universality of the NPT, the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, strengthening the nuclear safeguards, and measures to advance the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The NPT is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.(end) mao.rk