Lay down the nukes - Mbeki

2004-11-19 20:59

Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki has renewed his call for the worldwide disarmament of nuclear weapons, saying on Friday the current slanted situation should not be allowed to continue.

Writing in the African National Congress' online publication, ANC Today, Mbeki referred to a recent agreement reached between Iran, France, Germany, Britain, and the European Union.

He said it was "on various matters related to the pursuit of the goal of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons".

"The ANC and the government welcome this agreement, and believe it provides the correct basis for the final resolution of the matter that has been at issue, focused on Iran."

In terms of the agreement, the parties re-affirmed their commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT).

Western countries and the European Union recognised the rights of Iran arising from its membership of the NNPT, "exercised in conformity with its obligations under the treaty, without discrimination".

Economic co-operation and firm commitments

Iran reaffirmed it did not, and would not, try to get nuclear weapons. It committed itself to full co-operation and transparency with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Further negotiations would take place in December "with a view to reaching a mutually acceptable agreement on long-term arrangements".

"The agreement will provide objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes.

"It will equally provide firm guarantees on nuclear, technological, and economic co-operation and firm commitments on security issues."

Mbeki said these negotiations should respect the critically important principle and practice of multilateralism, in this case represented by the IAEA.

It was also vital the fundamental cause of the conflict in the Middle East be removed.

Weapons of mass destruction

The denial of the Palestinians' right to an independent state, as well as the final settlement of the conflicts between Israel and other Arab countries also must be removed.

"As part of this process, Israel must also be guaranteed its existence and safety, within internationally recognised and secure borders.

"With the removal of these sources of conflict, there would be no need for any country in the region to arm itself with WMDs (weapons of mass destruction)."

Mbeki said South Africa had been concerned about the dispute relating to Iran, believing it should be solved without confrontation.

He said: "Apart from anything else, we were, and are, convinced that such a confrontation would further undermine global peace and the possibility of reducing global tension, against the interests of all countries and peoples."

Some might think these matters should be of distant concern to South Africa, but, apart from anything else, the government served on the board of the IAEA.

- SAPA