The sub-Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) exchange views on the Nuclear non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference, held in May in New York with Annalisa GIANNELLA, Council Secretariat Director for non proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

exchange of views

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

GIANNELLA, Annalisa (IT)

weapon of mass destruction (T)

Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD): extracts from the exchange of views with Annalisa GIANNELLA, Council Secretariat Director for non proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

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SOUNDBITE (French), Annalisa GIANNELLA, Council Secretariat Director for non proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, The most important thing to bear in mind is that the exchange of low grade uranium fuel is not the real problem, the heart of the problem is the Iranian nuclear program. It makes us suspect that they might be using it for military purposes. The proposal put forward by the Director of the IAEA with the agreement of the three other partners had a specific aim. The goal was to show that it was possible for Iran to get support for his program for civilian purposes, so it was a confidence building measure. We need to negotiate with Iran in order to clarify real objectives of their program.

SOUNDBITE (English), Annalisa GIANNELLA, Council Secretariat Director for non proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, MPT review conference, which took place in New York and lasted practically the whole month of May, has been a success, both in terms of the documents and the decisions that have been adopted by the conference, and in terms of a contribution on the improvement that we hope to be durable, in the relationships between the western and the developing countries. I would say that the only negative note we have observed during the last days is the reaction by Israel to the agreement reached on the Middle East issue.

SOUNDBITE (English), Annalisa GIANNELLA, Council Secretariat Director for non proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, I think that everybody now agrees that the outcome of the conference is very satisfactory. You must know it is the first time that the EU as such, not France or UK only, participated in the last rounds of the negotiations. So the EU now starts to be seen as an actor to the non-proliferation and disarmament field.

SOUNDBITE (German), Reinhard B&#220;TIKOFER (Greens/EFA, DE), I think that we have to be self-critical also, not only mention some positive resultsm but also mention the negative sides.I think most particularly that it is deplorable thatm whereas the EU had the chance to move its own agenda with regards to tactical weapons, it did not succeed in doing so.