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Egypt’s anger at lack of progress on nuclear free Middle East

Egypt Walks Out Of Nuclear Talks In Geneva, Huffington Post, By JOHN HEILPRIN 04/29/13 GENEVA — Egypt walked out of a round of global
nuclear talks in protest Monday, saying other nations are not acting quickly
enough to establish the Middle East as a zone free of nuclear weapons.

A statement from Egypt’s foreign ministry said the nation ended its
participation in two weeks of Geneva talks out of frustration that the zone
has yet to be created. The talks run through this week.

“We can’t wait forever for the implementation of this decision,” said the
ministry’s statement Monday night, explaining that Egypt’s walkout was meant
to send a message to the world that it can no longer accept what it
considers to be a lack of seriousness on the issue….. At the 1995 review,
nations adopted the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East, in a concession by
the U.S. and others to the Arabs, who wanted Israel to join the treaty and
to give up its unacknowledged arsenal of nuclear weapons. In exchange, the
Arabs backed the treaty’s permanent extension.

But after 15 years of inaction on a nuclear-free zone, Egypt proposed that
the 2010 conference endorse launching negotiations to establish one. With no
talks started, Egypt said Monday that some other members of the treaty – and
non-members – are “obstructing” the goal. Though it did not specify, the
reference to non-members was seen as implying Israel.

Ahead of the Geneva talks to prevent the spread of nuclear arms, the U.N.
Security Council’s five major powers – Britain, China, France, Russia and
the United States – had again called for progress in establishing a
nuclear-free Middle East.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/egypt-nuclear-talks_n_3181087.html

April 30, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Egypt, politics international