Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:68 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action taken by his Department to encourage India, Israel and Pakistan to become signatories to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. [26797/03]
Written Answers. - Nuclear Disarmament Initiative.
Ireland has long pursued a policy of support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT, and attaches the utmost importance to its universalisation. India, Pakistan and Israel are the only three countries that have not acceded to the NPT. Ireland will continue to avail of every opportunity to call for their adherence to the treaty as non-nuclear weapon states as an EU member and within the New Agenda Coalition, NAC.
In the EU's opening statement at the United Nations General Assembly first committee, the EU called for full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1172 which, inter alia, calls on India and Pakistan to accede as non-nuclear weapon states to the NPT. The statement also called on Israel to accede as a non-nuclear weapon state. The NAC, of which Ireland is a founder member, presented a paper to the last NPT preparatory commission in April 2003. This identified the need for the international community to redouble its efforts in persuading these countries to accede without further delay. Most recently, at the UN first committee, Ireland co-sponsored the NAC resolution, Towards a Nuclear Free World: A New Agenda, which called on these three states to accede to the treaty promptly and without condition as non-nuclear weapon states.
Universalisation and re-inforcement of multilateral instruments in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation is an important element of the emerging EU strategy on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It is one which Ireland has strongly supported. The EU is expected to adopt a common position on the universalisation and reinforcement of multilateral agreements which makes explicit reference to the NPT at the General Affairs and External Relations Council this month.
Question No. 69 answered with Question No. 22.