Report: Israeli Nuclear File goes parallel with ME Peace
Egypt, Politics, 5/27/2000

In an interview with Akhbar El Yom, today, Egypt's Foreign Minister Amr Moussa underlined the results of the month-long 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), held in New York.

Moussa said the conference represented a major step forward to help restore confidence in the NPT and related review conferences.

"Since Balir House Negotiations that followed the signing of Camp David Accord, in Washington 1978, Egypt started raising the issue of Israeli nuclear armament. However, faced with the refusal by Israel and the US to discuss this matter , the Egyptian delegation at that time asserted that Egypt will not overlook this issue and will continue to raise it on all international fora", Moussa elaborated.

Moussa said Egypt reiterated its unshakable stance regarding the NPT and made it clear that making progress in nuclear nonproliferation and comprehensive safeguard regime especially in the Middle East is an urgent question in view of the continued refusal by Israeli to adhere or to declare its intention to adhere to the Treaty.

Moussa added that access the situation in the Middle East has become a separate, major, and important issue, in terms of reviewing processes, and restoring the NPT credibility.

The foreign minister recalled the four review conferences, held between 1995 and 2000, in New York, crumbled on the rock of not mentioning Israel, or deeming it an exception. What happened in terms of giving up this policy, in this year's conference, Egypt is considering a step forward with full appreciation of the nuclear states' position, in this respect, in support of strongly mentioning the Israeli nuclear armament.

He referred, in this context, to the position of the United States, France, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom. He also noted the international consensus on the final document issued by the Review Conference.

"Despite all the results achieved in the New York conference we should not deceive ourselves by considering this as a final stop, it is rather the first. The success already achieved should be built upon for nuclear and mass destruction weapons disarmament, particularly in the Middle East", Moussa expounded.

Regarding the lack of response by Israel to the new call of the Review Conference for joining the Treaty and placing its nuclear installations under the IAEA Safeguards, Moussa said he actually expected a negative stand on the part of Israel.

He called on Israel to take a positive stand in view of this new call, and reconsider the nuclear policies it has been adopting so far.

He also stressed the future of the Middle East would not be heading for stability and real security for all states in the region without handling the issue of Israeli nuclear armament.

He elaborated that Israel accession to the Treaty would have positive repercussions, in relation to other aspirations in the region for nuclear weapons production. Mentioning any other state, in the context of nuclear activities, would be anyway, and eventually, reference to a party to the NPT, subject to its terms of inspection, monitoring and submitted reports.

Moussa pointed out that the Egyptian stance in the conference was primarily related to the Israeli position. He asserted, in this regard, that talking about Israel does not stem from the fact that it is party to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but as would be applicable to any state in the region, that is not complying. That would have been Egypt's position towards any other non-complying state.

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