Saudi Arabia strived for 40 years to make MidEast free of nuclear weapons: Ambassador

Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region have sought for more than forty years to make the Middle East a region free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi, said in a speech.

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Al-Mouallimi delivered the speech in New York at the second session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia has been and is still at the forefront of countries supporting the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones all over the world, especially in the Middle East region, al-Moaullimi said in his speech.

“The proposition that some countries push, which is based on the fact that the security environment and the international situation are not conducive to moving forward with the complete elimination of weapons of mass destruction in our region, represents a false logic,” the ambassador said.

“We are all here in this hall to strive to achieve this goal except for one party, which is Israel, which continues to obstruct all initiatives and negotiations for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction,” he added.

He said that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, especially in the Middle East, is one of the basic measures to achieve the purposes and principles of the UN charter related to the maintenance of international peace and security and the promotion of good-neighborliness, friendly relations and cooperation among states, SPA reported.

Iran

Al-Moaullimi added in his speech that Saudi Arabia supports international efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, expressing the Kingdom’s deep concern about Iran’s behavior that contradicts its declared peaceful nuclear activities.

He called on Iran to seize the current diplomatic opportunities to enter into serious negotiations over its nuclear program.

“The establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction is no longer just an option, but has become an imperative, as achieving security, stability and comprehensive coexistence in our region will not be complete without the disarmament of all weapons of mass destruction,” al-Moaullimi said.

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