Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 2 August (BelTA) – The non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has always been a high priority for Belarus in international security affairs. Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Valentin Rybakov made the statement in the Ministry on 2 August as he opened the first round of the partnership review meant to evaluate the fulfillment of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1540, BelTA has learned.

The press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted Valentin Rybakov as saying that Belarus was the first ex-USSR country to voluntarily get rid of its nuclear weapons and completed the removal of nuclear weapons from the country in 1996. Moreover, in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly Belarus was the one to initiate the resolution on prohibiting the development and production of new kinds of weapons of mass destruction and new WMD systems. This resolution complements Resolution 1540 to a certain degree.

The event gathered representatives of ministries and government agencies of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, who are responsible for implementing Resolution 1540, as well as experts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations Organization, and the UN Security Council’s 1540 Committee. The review is the second event of the kind in the OSCE region and the world as a whole and the first meeting that will be held in a trilateral format, explained the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As part of the review exchange visits of experts will be organized with interested countries in order to discuss the fulfillment of Resolution 1540. Progress in implementing the resolution will be evaluated, the best practices and experience will be shared. In the end the countries will compile a joint report, which will then be forwarded to the 1540 Committee and the UN Security Council.