CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS ADDRESS BY FIRST DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF BELARUS

Igor Petrishenko, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, addressed the Conference on Disarmament this morning, urging Conference Members to enhance the positive momentum in the Conference's activities, to manifest their political will and to adopt a programme of work based on decision CD/1864 (containing a programme of work for 2009). Also speaking today were Ambassador Mikhail Khvostov of Belarus, in some introductory remarks as the incoming President of the Conference, and Japan.

First Deputy Foreign Minister Petrishenko also called upon the Conference to start negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) without delay. While Belarus welcomed some positive signals of increased interest on outstanding disarmament issues, the nuclear powers could take new measures to stop further modernization of nuclear weapons and to renounce their reliance on nuclear weapons in their military doctrines. Belarus would like to see serious dedication by the nuclear powers to the idea of "Global Zero".

In many respects the last decade had appeared to be a "lost" decade for the disarmament business, Mr. Petrishenko observed. They had witnessed some dangerous regressive tendencies that had seriously damaged the existing system of international relations. They had to reverse that negative situation. To do that, universal multilateral agreements in the field of disarmament were the uncontested tools capable of ensuring common rules of conduct for all States without exception. The forthcoming Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference would be an event to test the seriousness of their intentions, and Belarus hoped that the Review Conference would adopt decisions aimed at strengthening the NPT.

Mr. Khvostov, President of the Conference, noted that last Thursday Conference Members had had a thorough exchange of views had been held on various proposals regarding a programme of work for the Conference. In connection with the differing views, he had started bilateral consultations and he would also be meeting with regional groups to clarify the kinds of changes that might prove acceptable to all parties, if such amendments could indeed be made. They needed concrete results and achievements, as had been pointed out by the Secretary-General of the Conference last Thursday.

Japan also spoke to pledge thank the outgoing President, Ambassador Hannan of Bangladesh, and to pledge its support for the efforts of the new President.

At the beginning of the meeting, speaking on behalf of the Conference members, President Khvostov extended condolences to Belgium for the victims of the latest train crash.

The next public plenary of the Conference will be held on Thursday, 18 February at 10 a.m.

Statements

IGOR PETRISHENKO, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, highlighted that Belarus had made a significant contribution to the process of promoting a nuclear-weapons-free world. It had voluntarily renounced an opportunity to possess an existing arsenal of nuclear weapons, fully completing their withdrawal from Belarusian territory by the end of 1996. Belarus had also made an equally important impact in strengthening European security and transparency by reducing its armed forces and conventional weapons. In the beginning of the 1990s, Belarus had had an army of more than a quarter of a million; as a result of a well-organized reform that number had been reduced to 50,000. Moreover, in accordance with the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, Belarus had destroyed 1,700 combat tanks, 1,300 armoured combat vehicles and 130 combat aircraft – a total of 10 per cent of all the armaments eliminated by all the 30 States parties to that Treaty. Those facts and figures were mentioned to remind members that political will was a precondition for all future decisions in the field of disarmament. Negotiations were really only a tool for political will.

Mr. Petrishenko urged Conference Members to enhance the positive momentum in the Conference's activities, to manifest their political will and to adopt a programme of work based on decision CD/1864 (containing a programme of work for 2009). Belarus also called upon the Conference to start negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) without delay. All substantive issues concerning the scope and content of the future treaty should be resolved within the negotiation process. The existence of an FMCT would create favourable conditions for the international community to set a total ban on nuclear weapons as a realistic medium-term goal. Indeed, Belarus welcomed some positive signals of increased interest on outstanding disarmament issues, both by specific countries and in the international arena. It was satisfied with the efforts of the Russian Federation and the United States to conclude a new legally binding treaty on further reduction of their strategic nuclear weapons. However, the nuclear powers could adopt measures not just to decrease the number of nuclear warheads and their means of delivery, they could take new measures to stop further modernization of nuclear weapons and to renounce their reliance on nuclear weapons in their military doctrines. Belarus would like to see serious dedication by the nuclear powers to the idea of "Global Zero". It also supported the adoption of legally binding negative security assurances, which could strengthen the non-proliferation provisions of the NPT, as well as the adoption of legally binding norms to guarantee peaceful exploration of outer space. In that regard, Belarus supported the draft Treaty on Prevention of Placement of Weapons in Outer Space submitted to the Conference by the Russian Federation and China.

Mr. Petrishenko observed that in many respects the last decade had appeared to be a "lost" decade for the disarmament business. They had witnessed some dangerous regressive tendencies that had seriously damaged the existing system of international relations. The geography of military conflicts had extended. Aggregate military expenditures had exceeded $1 billion. They had to reverse that negative situation. It was necessary to take constructive efforts to strengthen existing mechanisms and to develop new legal tools to deal with the various challenges in the field of international security and disarmament, rather than declaring the weakness of existing international legal mechanisms or blocking their activities. To do that, universal multilateral agreements in the field of disarmament were the uncontested tools capable of ensuring common rules of conduct for all States without exception. The forthcoming NPT Review Conference would be an event to test the seriousness of their intentions. Belarus believed that all the States Parties to the Treaty were prepared for constructive work during that forum and hoped that the Review Conference would adopt decisions aimed at strengthening the NPT.

MIKHAIL KHVOSTOV (Belarus), President of the Conference, in some introductory remarks at the beginning of the Belarusian Presidency, thanked his predecessor, Ambassador Abdul Hannan of Bangladesh for the work he had undertaken to get the Conference to address the issues before them. Belarus would continue to work in that vein, and hoped it could rely on the help of all delegations in that regard. Last week, on Thursday, a thorough exchange of views had been held on various proposals regarding a programme of work for the Conference, which had provided food for thought for all delegations and the Six Presidents. In connection with the differing views, he had started bilateral consultations and he would also be meeting with regional groups to clarify the kinds of changes that might prove acceptable to all parties, if such amendments could indeed be made. The proposals that delegations might be seeing should be taken as important, but non-confrontational. He remained confident that the patience demonstrated by all would allow them to come up with a compromise that would allow them to move forward with the substantive work of the Conference. They needed concrete results and achievements, as had been pointed out by the Secretary-General of the Conference last Tuesday.

AKIO SUDA (Japan) expressed Japan’s deep gratitude to the outgoing President, Ambassador Hannan of Bangladesh, for his efforts as President and for having organized very useful informal debates. Japan also welcomed the Ambassador of Belarus who had now assumed the important function of President, and expressed the hope that, under his guidance, the Conference would be able to make progress. Japan pledged its readiness to work with the new President and to support his efforts.


For use of the information media; not an official record

DC10/008E