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Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004

Wednesday, 29 September 2004

Questions (145)

Finian McGrath

Question:

327 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he and the EU will take a stronger stand against Israel’s weapons of mass destruction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21355/04]

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Written answers

Ireland and the EU are deeply concerned about the ongoing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, considering it to be one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. The European Council last December adopted a strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Under this strategy, the EU will use all political and diplomatic instruments at its disposal and undertake a wide range of actions to stem the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery by both state and non-state actors. In this context, the EU underlines the importance of full compliance with and national implementation of existing disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and agreements and other relevant international obligations.

The EU attaches great importance to the universalisation of international instruments against the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery through signature, accession or ratification, as appropriate, of all relevant instruments. Last April, at the preparatory committee for the 2005 review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT, Ireland on behalf of the EU called upon Israel to accede unconditionally to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon state. Ireland further stated that Israel's accession to the NPT, and the placement of all its nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguards of the IAEA is of great importance to the EU as it would contribute to the peace and stability of the region and the prospects of an overall settlement in the Middle East.

An integral and important aspect of this policy is the EU's continuing commitment to the objective of pursuing a mutually and effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, biological and chemical, and their delivery systems, as set out in the Barcelona Declaration of 1995.

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