Belarus in favor of nuclear-free zone in Middle East

MINSK, 28 July (BelTA) – Belarus, a country that has voluntarily disposed of its nuclear weapons, supports the idea of creating a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East in line with the project Syria submitted to the UN Security Council in 2003, reads a joint declaration of the presidents of Belarus and Syria.

The press service of the Belarusian head of state told BelTA, the declaration calls for universalizing the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty. Belarus and Syria believe it is necessary for Israel to accede to the treaty as a non-nuclear country, with its nuclear installations put under the IAEA control.

The declaration confirms the right of all countries, including Iran, to develop nuclear power engineering for peaceful uses in accordance with the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty. The declaration has stressed the adherence to handling the matter of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program purely by diplomatic methods.

The sides believe it is important to ensure equal energy security of all nations and it is necessary to step up international cooperation in the UNO for the sake of enabling a wide access of all the countries to alternative and renewable energy technologies.

Belarus and Syria have also confirmed the need for the Israel troops to pull out from the Golan Heights and other Arabic territories that were occupied after 4 June 1967. The two countries believe that it is necessary to settle the problem of Palestinian refugees and to create an independent Palestinian country in line with resolutions of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. In this regard Belarus highly appreciates Syria’s key role and its efforts in reaching peace, stability and security in the Middle East. The declaration expresses a deep concern about the extremely tense situation in the Middle East caused by the ongoing occupation of Arabic territories by Israel. The two countries condemn Israel’s resettlement policy and any unilateral actions performed in the occupied Arabic territories, including Eastern Jerusalem. Belarus and Syria call for resuming the peace process with a view to reaching fair comprehensive peace in the region that will be based on observing the relevant international legal norms and resolutions of the UN Security Council, the principle Peace for Land and the Arab peace initiative.

Belarus and Syria also confirm their adherence to vigorous joint actions against slave trade. Syria highly appreciates Belarus’ efforts in this sphere and supports its international initiatives within the UN framework, particularly those relating to the development of a global action plan against trafficking in persons.

In addition, the sides confirm readiness to continue speaking in favor of enhancing the leading role of the United Nations Organization as a mechanism of ensuring international peace, security and cooperation, for future reformation of the UNO for the sake of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Organization. The sides also speak for enhancing the principle of solidarity in the Non-Aligned Movement, unity of views of its members in the UNO and other international organizations, development of comprehensive cooperation between the NAM member-states.

Belarus and Syria state the affinity of their approaches to topical problems of the modern world. The two countries have agreed to continue productive cooperation of the two countries in the UNO, other universal international organizations, to work together for the sake of promoting the formation of a just and rational international political and economic order based on principles of non-interference in domestic affairs of sovereign nations, equality of rights, mutual respect and mutual profits, observance of the international law and the UN Charter, recognition of the versatility of ways to progress as an imperishable value of the human civilization.