Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari reiterated Syria’s call for freeing the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction and for exerting pressure on the Israeli entity to put all of its facilities and nuclear activities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In a statement delivered before the Disarmament and International Security (First Committee) general debate at the UN, al-Jaafari indicated that the challenges facing our world have increased and on top of them is the development of the nuclear arsenals and the threat of using them, in addition to the spread of terrorism and adopting it as a political weapon by governments of certain states, some of which are permanent member states at the Security Council.

Al-Jaafari affirmed that continuing to protect Israel’s possession of nuclear weapon and ignoring its refusal to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) by nuclear states has become a clear issue for all, as the US and Britain foiled the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT.

He indicated that the continued support by the US, Britain, France, Canada, Germany, and others has contributed to the development of the military nuclear, biological and chemical programs of Israel, and has encouraged the Israeli entity to increase its defiance of the international will through not jointing the NPT and the other agreements on WMDs.

“At the end of 2003, my country, through its membership at the Security Council, proposed an initiative on freeing the Middle East of all WMDs, particularly the nuclear ones, yet the US delegation threatened at that time to use the veto if we submit the proposal,” al-Jaafari said.

He added “In this context, my country renews its call upon the member states for freeing the Middle East of nuclear weapons and all WMDs, and we call for exerting pressure on Israel to join the NPT and to put all of its facilities and nuclear activities under the supervision of the IAEA.”

“The government of my country condemns in the strongest terms the crime of using chemical weapons based on its belief in the need to free the Middle East of all WMDs, on top the nuclear ones,” al-Jaafari affirmed.

Al-Jaafari noted that Syria joined the NPT and adhered to all of its obligations despite of the hard circumstances it is going through.

He said that Syria sent more than 160 letters to the UN Secretary General, the Security Council, the Joint Investigative Committee, the committee of the resolution No. 1540, and the committees on combating terrorism in which it affirmed its concern over supporting terrorism by some states which are providing chemical weapons for the terrorist groups, all while they claim that Syria used such weapons.

Al-Jaafari affirmed that the Conference on Disarmament is the only negotiative forum with regard to the disarmament, and that Syria expresses condemnation of the politicization practiced by Western states at the Conference.

At the conclusion of his statement, al-Jaafari said “terrorism, which is backed and supplied with toxic chemical weapons, will have repercussions on the governments of the states which support terrorism and on other states.”

He asserted that the member states should shoulder their responsibilities through stopping the smuggling of weapons and ammunition, whether they are lethal or not, and the smuggling of militants and terrorists through the borders of Syria’s neighboring states.