Iran Outlines Views On Arms Trade Treaty

New York, July 11, IRNA – Iran’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee outlined Iran’s views on regulating the Arms Trade Treaty. He offered Iran’s views to an international meeting underway since last week in the United Nations with participation of representatives of 193 world countries. Following one month of expert discussions, the treaty will be ready for voting. Addressing the meeting, Khazaee said the next treaty has to defend the countries' legitimate defense rights mentioned in article 51 of the United Nations Charter so that countries have the chance to determine their own exclusive ways of defense free of any kind of pressures or foreign interventions. He also stressed that the treaty should urge member states to avoid resorting to any kind of aggressive measures against other member states to restrict or threaten their inalienable security rights or their interests. The Iranian envoy further noted that the treaty should merely aim at prohibiting trafficking of regular arms, adding that it should not ban trade of arms crucial for countries in materializing their essential right of self-defense. Khazaee stressed that the political tendencies of such organizations as the United Nations to impose sanctions have no place in the treaty. Iran has been elected as deputy for the talks to regulate global arms trade treaty. All 193 participating countries unanimously voted in favor of Iran during the 4th day of the meeting underway in the United Nations headquarters to draft a bill on regulating arms trade in the world. The month-long expert meeting is to examine ways of confronting unregulated trade of arms and ammunition. Before the meeting started, members of a world coalition, comprising 25 non-governmental organizations from 125 world countries, gathered in front of the UN headquarters opposing the lethal arms trade./end