Oman welcomes call to set up nuke-free zone

Oman views Israel's position as a potential threat to peace and stability in the region and welcomes all international efforts to establish a nuclear free zone in the Middle East.

Oman's position was clarified in a statement delivered yesterday by First Secretary Ali bin Ahmed Al Qasmi before the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2005 Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review conference, according to a report by the Oman News Agency.

Oman has also underlined the need for a comprehensive approach to ban the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the region. No one should be excluded from the ban, the statement said.

The statement said that all Arab states joined the treaty for the sake of peace while Israel was the only state in the region that refuses to sign.

"They also refuse to allow international inspection and monitoring of its nuclear installations," the Omani official said.

Oman also stressed the necessity to implement the 13 practical steps approved at the Revision Conference for 2000 as a basis for implementing Article 6 of the Non Proliferation Treaty.

It also underscored the need to support the resolution of the summit of the non-aligned countries on forming a subcommittee to be affiliated to the second main committee of the 2000 Treaty Review Conference to explore implementation of the resolution on the Middle East.

Oman said that it accords special attention to the issues pertaining to removal of all weapons of mass destruction, including the nuclear weapons in the region and the world.

"The recently issued Royal Decree on Oman's joining of the convention on physical protection of nuclear material is the best evidence to the country's concern about its support of international disarmament efforts," the statement reads.

It said the UN General Assembly approved in its last session and with absolute majority, Resolution No. 97/57 that called on Israel to join the Treaty as well as Resolution No.30/55 on creating a nuclear free zone in Mideast.

"Those decisions," the statement added, "were adequate assurances for the states in the region of the international community's desire to establish peace and stability in the Middle East."