The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed deep concern at what the International Atomic Energy Agency indicated in its verification work reports under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement in Iran, its lack of full compliance with its obligations under the agreement, and the lack of transparency with respect to the International Atomic Energy Agency. energy, which poses a threat to the non-proliferation regime and an obstacle to achieving the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations relating to the maintenance of international peace and security, emphasizing its support from this point of view for all international efforts aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and endangering the region and the world .
This was stated in a speech delivered by the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the United Nations, Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al Wazel, at the plenary meeting of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), held at United Nations Headquarters. in New York.
At the outset, Ambassador Al-Wazel thanked the President of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons for his efforts in establishing the conference and for the effective coordination among the groups of countries, despite the exceptional circumstances resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, which prevented the conference on the previously scheduled date, emphasizing the Kingdom’s determination to make every effort to cooperate with the conference and other delegations in order to ensure the success of the conference and achieve results. which revive hope that the concerns of all participating States are taken into account and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of this treaty.
He explained that, based on the deep conviction of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that peaceful cooperation between states is one of the main measures for achieving prosperity, prosperity and stability in the world, the Kingdom attaches great importance to the nuclear non-proliferation regime, since this treaty is its cornerstone a stone leading to the universality of the treaty and the full implementation of its provisions, striving for a world free of nuclear weapons.
Ambassador Al-Wazel noted that the Kingdom commends the important role of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its Director General for the outstanding efforts and initiatives to develop the Agency’s capacity in such a way as to enhance its role in verifying and monitoring the peaceful nuclear programs of the States Parties to the treaty, emphasizing the inalienable right of the states parties to the treaty to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes in accordance with its provisions.
He said: “My country is committed to its national policy, which emphasizes the highest standards of transparency and reliability for the development of the peaceful use of atomic energy in various fields, including its national atomic energy project, and the importance of nuclear powers.” adherence to one of the foundations of the treaty by making nuclear technology available to the states parties to the treaty without additional requirements that go beyond the scope of the treaty. The scope of the treaty and the provisions or restrictions that deprive it of the right to peaceful nuclear technology.
He reaffirmed the importance of states’ commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, emphasizing the role of the United Nations General Assembly in calling on non-parties to accede quickly and place all their nuclear facilities under comprehensive safeguards. system of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Ambassador Al-Wazel added: “The responsibility to free the Middle East from nuclear weapons is a collective responsibility at the international level, and the 1995 resolution on the Middle East is an integral part of the other resolutions that led to the indefinite extension of the decision of the Treaty. In this context, the 1995 resolution on the Middle East is valid until its implementation and the full achievement of its objectives.
He continued: “My country once again expresses its regret that the 2012 conference called for by the Middle East Action Plan in the Final Document of the 2010 Review Conference was not held, in violation of the review process and agreed commitments, and this solution is one of the solutions expected to be taken up by the international community. The failure of other international mechanisms, especially the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, to stop Iran’s threatening non-proliferation practices in the region, as well as the failure to achieve universality of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with Israel’s continued refusal to accede, constitutes an obstacle that cannot be overlooked, because the origin of this treaty is that it provides non-nuclear countries with a security guarantee that atomic energy will not be misused for weapons purposes, a guarantee that is not in the Middle East as long as Israel refuses to join it, puts everything its nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency and refuses to comply with the relevant international resolutions and ignore the decisions of the NPT review conferences.
He stressed the need to counter and combat the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, as the threat is not limited to the region but to the entire world.
Ambassador Al-Wazel also reiterated the Kingdom’s desire to ensure the success of this conference and solve the problems of the countries of the Middle East region in particular and the whole world in order to achieve peace, prosperity and stability. for all.