asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the Government's policy on the draft agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union to scrap their short and intermediate range nuclear missiles; the steps, if any, the Government intends to take to promote the principle of total nuclear disarmament; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Nuclear Missiles Draft Agreement.
26.
In Washington today President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signed the agreement on the worldwide elimination of intermediate nuclear forces (INF). This is an important and historic achievement which we warmly welcome and fully support.
On behalf of the Government I would like to extend to President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev our appreciation for their commitment and dedication to reaching this agreement which achieves for the first time a genuine reduction in the numbers of nuclear weapons held by the United States and the Soviet Union. It represents a longawaited positive and constructive new step in the arms control and disarmament process which we have consistently advocated. It should result in particular in a significant reduction in the number of nuclear weapons stationed in Europe. In view of the overwhelming support which this agreement attracts it is our hope that the remaining steps necessary to bring it into force can be quickly taken.
The signing of the INF agreement opens up the prospects for a new and more constructive era in East-West relations. We hope also that it will help chart an ambitious course for further reductions in the numbers of nuclear weapons and towards greater disarmament generally. In particular, we hope that this first step will be the prelude to other steps which will include agreements on strategic nuclear weapons and space systems. In this manner the universal goal of a more secure and stable world can be advanced.
With regard to the other aspects of the Deputy's question the Government remain committed to the goal of the greatest possible reduction of nuclear weapons leading to their eventual elimination. We support the overall objective of the dialogue between the US and the USSR which is to prevent an arms race in space and terminate it on earth. It is our belief that a comprehensive test-ban treaty would be a positive and practical measure in inhibiting the further technical development of nuclear weapons and help reduce reliance on these weapons by the nuclear weapons states. Most recently in my address to the UN General Assembly in September I renewed our call for the conclusion of such a test ban treaty. The US-Soviet dialogue which has recently begun and which concentrates in the first instance on verification aspects of nuclear testing is a welcome step towards the goal of a nuclear test ban although we are disappointed that agreement on a complete cessation of such testing has once again been deferred. In our view there is no practical obstacle to such a ban on testing.
Next July is the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. As we approach the anniversary of this agreement with which Ireland has such close association we hope that the commitment entered into in that agreement to pursue a path leading to nuclear disarmament will have been further advanced through the INF agreement signed today and further agreements on reductions of nuclear weapons which we hope will flow from this event.
At the current session of the UN General Assembly a decision was taken to hold a Third Special Session devoted to Disarmament next year from 31 May to 25 June. The issue of nuclear disarmament will be central to the deliberations of this Special Session at which we hope that a broad commitment to, and framework for, progress in the future can be agreed. We look forward to actively participating at this Special Session and to helping ensure its success. We also hope that the successful conclusion of the Special Session will promote and advance the disarmament process at the multilateral level.