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World Jewish News
Russia demands nuclear disarmament from Israel
08.03.2009
At the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, after the conclusion of talks with U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov suggested to make the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Lavrov said: "The issue of strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the Middle East remains of high priority. We are always in favor of turning the Middle East into a zone free of nuclear weapons and, possibly, into a zone free of weapons of mass destruction."
None of the countries of the Middle East, except for Israel, possess a nuclear arsenal. Israel has never officially confirmed or denied the possession of nuclear weapons, which is a major limiting factor in the case of large-scale conflict in the region.
Lavrov also called for a new treaty on strategic arms limitation (STARTI). He said: "We are ready to take up the call of our American partners, to restore good relations between our two countries, and the first step on this path can be a new treaty on limiting strategic offensive arms."
Lavrov also quoted his boss, President Medvedev, who has made statements on the need to reduce the not only the number of warheads, but also the means of delivery.
The Secretary of State Clinton has stated that she wanted to prepare a plan for a new treaty on arms limitation until April 2, when a first meeting between the Presidents Obama and Medvedev takes place.
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