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Kharrazi addresses NPT review confab (Part 1)

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

United Nations, New York, May 4, IRNA
UN-NPT-Kharrazi
Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi here on Tuesday addressed the 7th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT).

The full text of his address is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
Mr President,
Despite the difficulties that the non-proliferation regime has historically faced, we can generally assess that the NPT has been successful in containing the number of nuclear-weapon States.

Without the NPT, there would have certainly been more nuclear weapons in the hand of more countries in the world. This in turn would have put our planet at greater risk of more insecurity and instability.

On the other hand, the Treaty has not been successful in attaining the objective of nuclear disarmament as it has been called for in its Article VI. The continued existences of thousands of nuclear warheads in the nuclear-weapon States stockpiles, which can destroy the entire globe many times over, are the major sources of threat to global peace and security.

Unfortunately, the limited efforts of the two major nuclear-weapon States right after the Cold War to reduce their nuclear arsenals have faced serious setbacks, particularly in recent years. Nuclear weapons continue to be deployed in other countries; a fact that exacerbates the situation.

Following the major efforts by States Parties to strengthen the Treaty, the 2000 NPT Review Conference welcomed enthusiastically "the unequivocal undertakings by the Nuclear-Weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament, to which all States Parties are committed under Article VI". Accordingly, the Conference adopted 13 practical steps for implement Article VI.

This Conference has a special responsibility to review the implementation of these practical steps and of the requisite measures to strengthen and complement them. Failure to embark upon a full-scope review of the implementation of those steps would only result in the frustrations of the international community over the total indifference of nuclear-weapon States to the wishes of international community to make progress towards nuclear disarmament. This could potentially amount to unraveling of the fabric, credibility and authority of the NPT.

But engagement in such a process requires us to face an unpleasant reality; and the reality is that no progress has been achieved in implementing the 13 practical steps. On the contrary, measures have been adopted and implemented which run against the letter and spirit of those obligations. This Conference should concentrate, therefore, much of its efforts to consolidate the 13 steps, by a thorough appraisal that impede their realization.

/2325/1422
::IRNA No.009 04/05/2005 11:27 --End