COWEN WELCOMES ADOPTION OF NEW AGENDA INITIATIVE AT THE NON PROLIFERATION CONFERENCE
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Brian Cowen T.D., welcomed the outcome of the NPT Review Conference in New York, which secured a new unequivocal commitment tonight from the nuclear weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
The call for such a new commitment was at the heart of the Dublin Declaration of 9th June 1998, which at the initiative of Ireland brought together the New Agenda Coalition of like-minded countries from all regions of the world (Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sweden).
Welcoming tonight's developments at the NPT Review Conference and in particular the securing of this unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear weapons States, Minister Cowen said, "The NPT, which is the cornerstone of nuclear disarmament and non proliferation, has been revitalized today."
"We acknowledge the importance of the political step that our nuclear weapon States partners have undertaken in New York. This commitment by the nuclear weapon States will involve the speeding up of nuclear arms reduction leading to nuclear disarmament."
"Today's developments along with the recent ratification of START II by the Russian Federation and the promise of early negotiations on a START III, augur well for what I hope will be a new era of serious nuclear disarmament negotiations leading to a world free of nuclear weapons".
