No peace without disarmament of nuclear weapons

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NEW YORK - Kuwait expressed eagerness to take part in any international effort to face nuclear threats, as peace can only be achieved by nuclear weapons disarmament.

The remarks were made by Kuwait's permament envoy to the UN, Ambassador Tariq Al-Bannai, during the third session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction late Monday.

He presented the results of the second session during Kuwait's presidency, including agreeing on an interior system to enhance security in the region.

The current session includes a hearing of experts in the field and discussing the legal terms of the establishment, he said.
Meanwhile, he noted that Kuwait is eager to set a long-term strategy on topics to be discussed in the coming sessions.
Kuwait will continue encouraging the USA to take part in the conference as a supervising country, said Al-Bannai.
Kuwait is strictly following its commitments to all agreements on the issue, he said.

Kuwait reaffirmed the need for Israel to join the disarmament agreement, as it is the only Middle Eastern country not taking part in the treaty. He noted that Israel's refrain from joining is the only issue preventing the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in the region.
Following the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the way towards ending the threat of nuclear weapns and developing cooperation and trust between the Middle East countries, said Al-Bannai.

This will also allow countries to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes, he added.

Today's conference saw the transference of presidency from Kuwait, who chaired the second session from November 2021 to November 2022 to Lebanon.