IAEA general conference concerned about Israeli nuclear program
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Vienna, Sept 20, IRNA
IAEA-Israel
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution Thursday expressing concern about Israeli nuclear program.
The resolution called for the Middle East to be free from nuclear weapons.
The Egyptian-sponsored resolution was backed by 53 votes, with two against (from Israel and US) and 47 abstentions.
The resolution called on "all Middle East nations, pending the establishment of the nuclear weapons free zone, not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or permit the stationing on their territories or on territories under their control of nuclear weapons."
It also urged "nuclear-weapons states and all other states to render assistance in the establishment of the nuclear weapons free zone."
The IAEA has a tradition of adopting resolutions by consensus but the Middle East issue surfaced highly at the agency's general conference.
The conference approves broad policy lines for the 144-member IAEA, the verification arm of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Traditionally at the IAEA's general conference, Arab states introduce a resolution on the Israeli nuclear threat.
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