Doha: Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E Dr. Ahmad bin Hassen Al Hammadi affirmed that Qatar has always provided its full support for efforts and initiatives aimed at promoting the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
In a speech during the first Arab symposium on disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation held in Doha, he said that Qatar stresses on all occasions that the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone is a collective international responsibility imposed by international documents and resolutions, including the relevant Security Council resolutions.
On this occasion, Al Hammadi stressed the decisive role of the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the permanent members of the Security Council, which are at the same time the five nuclear-weapon states, in their responsibility in implementing the 1995 Middle East Resolution as a priority demand of the countries of the region as well as the international community.
Moreover, he said that the symposium, with its noble objectives, formed part of Qatar’s efforts to mobilise regional and international efforts towards the supreme goal of humanity, which is the comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons based on international law and international humanitarian law. Most specifically freeing the Middle East region of nuclear weapons and the rest of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Al Hammadi pointed out that Qatar has acceded to the treaties related to the elimination of WMD, the prohibition of nuclear testing, and non-proliferation, in addition to its accession to the treaties prohibiting or restricting specific types of conventional weapons, stressing that Qatar fully implements its obligations in those treaties, based on its firm belief in striving with all peace-loving nations to create a world free of nuclear weapons and other WMD, as well as promoting international peace and security.
Dr. Al Hammadi drew attention to Qatar’s support for the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution that prepared for the conclusion of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), opening legal horizons regarding the comprehensive and complete prohibition of nuclear weapons.
