10 August 2022; MEMO: Kuwait says it considers freeing the Middle East of nuclear weapons a goal that will not be conceded to achieve security, safety and stability in the region, calling on Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
In a speech delivered by Second Secretary of Kuwait's Diplomatic Mission at the UN Ibrahim Al-Dai during the second committee of the 10th conference of reviewing the NPT, the official stressed the need to adhere to the outcomes of the review conferences of the years 1995, 2000 and 2010, especially with regard to establishing a Middle East free of such weapons.
"The commitment of the non-nuclear-weapon states, parties to the Treaty, to their non-proliferation responsibilities is the best evidence of these states' belief in the dangers of nuclear weapons," noting the importance of continuing this commitment.
He also stressed the necessity and importance of achieving the universality of the treaty and called on all non-member states to accede as soon as possible in order to achieve its universality. He noted that Kuwait contributed to the efforts that prompted Arab countries to implement the 1955 resolution and establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
According to KUNA, Kuwait's official news agency, Al-Daei referred to the necessity of "submitting all nuclear facilities and programmes to the comprehensive safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency."
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He added: "Israel, the occupying power, must join the Non-Proliferation Treaty, especially as it is the only party in the region that is not a member and the obstacle that prevents the establishment of a zone free of these weapons."
Al-Daei considered that the establishment of security and stability in any region "does not come through possessing nuclear weapons or any other weapon of mass destruction."
Last Thursday, Kuwait affirmed at the UN its firm position on prohibiting the possession of nuclear weapons and preventing their spread, as well as stressing the importance of joint action in order to enable the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
