Bahrain participates in nuclear-free zone meeting

Manama, Nov. 20 (BNA): Bahrain has participated in the first session of the Conference of Establishment of a Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and all Other Weapons of Mass Destruction in Middle East The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, Ambassador Jamal Faris Al-Alrowaiei, confirmed Bahrain’s commitment in the success of the first session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, and in reaching a positive conclusion that would reflect the concerns of all State Parties and thus help moving towards a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the Middle East. This came at the start of the first session of the Conference, which was opened on Monday, November 18 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Permanent Representative underlined the inalienable right of States to benefit from the peaceful and multiple fields of nuclear energy applications. He also noted to the importance of making further use of the exchange of nuclear knowledge and technology between both industrialized and developing countries. He also stressed making all nuclear facilities and programs subjects of the comprehensive IAEA safeguards, so as not to endanger international peace and security. He also addressed the legitimate concerns of many States with regard to the security and safety of reactors located on their neighboring borders resulting from the potential effects of such reactors on the impact of any natural disaster or accident to the nuclear facility and the consequent risks to humans, the environment, and the economy, not only for the countries of the region, but may have effects on the whole world. The Permanent Representative reported that the Kingdom of Bahrain had signed the Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement, and other agreements related to Safeguards that include Additional Protocol and Small Quantities Protocol. The Kingdom has also submitted its annual report on the Safeguards Agreement for the years 2009-2018 and the fourth quarter of 2018 and the first and second quarter reports of 2019 relating to Additional Protocol. He noted that Kingdom of Bahrain was among the first States that have acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1997 and implemented it at the national level. He also called upon the international community to provide support that contributes to the fulfilment of the objectives of the convention, and to eliminate any use of chemical weapons. He underlined the importance of holding negotiations on the basis of goodwill, without preconditions, and collectively to overcome differences and recurrent issues. The aim of this session is to launch a sustained negotiation process that will contribute to build an agreed course for the states that accede to establish the zone. The Permanent Representative said that the negotiation process, held in New York, will contribute to supporting security and stability in the Middle East through freeing the region of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. It should be noted that the first session of the conference will be held from 18 to 22 November 2019 with the aim of negotiating on a legally binding instrument to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, in accordance with General Assembly’s decision 73/546, based on the decision of the NPT Review Conference 1995.