Iran urges more frank attempts to create nuclear weapons-free zone in ME

New York, May 3, IRNA - Iranian Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reza Najafi called for more intense global efforts to create a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. Najafi made the remarks in the third meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York. He noted that the plan to establish a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East was first presented by Iran in 1974. He added that the first General Assembly Special Session on Disarmament too emphasized the need to materialize the project in a frank manner and called for the immediate administrative action to implement the plan. The plan also enjoys the concrete support of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference of IAEA as well as a number of other regional and international organizations, Najafi added. He further called for full and immediate implementation of the resolutions of the Review Conference on the Establishment of this zone. He said the issue should be considered as a priority of the Preparatory Committee and Review Conference. end