S/PV.6090
6090th meeting
Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 10 a.m.
New York
Non-proliferation
The President (spoke in Arabic): I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
First, I should like to express my thanks to Ambassador Takasu, Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), for his useful briefing to the Security Council on the activities of the Committee in the past 90 days. We welcome the Committee’s adoption of its annual report for 2008 (S/2008/839).
Once again, Libya stresses the need for intensified international efforts to find a peaceful solution to the question of Iran’s nuclear programme in accordance with the provisions of resolution 1803 (2008) through stepped-up diplomatic efforts to encourage dialogue and consultations with Iran towards a comprehensive and appropriate long-term solution to this issue. This would open the way for the establishment of full relations and fruitful cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran on the basis of mutual respect and international confidence in the civilian nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.
In this regard, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya calls on all parties concerned to initiate direct negotiations towards this objective as soon as possible. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya reiterates its conviction that a comprehensive and non-selective approach must be adopted towards non-proliferation. All States, without exception, must subject their nuclear installations to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
We regret that the Security Council has not, to date, given appropriate attention to the issue of Israel’s nuclear weapons, even though Israel refuses to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) or to subject its installations to IAEA safeguards. This is frustrating. The peoples of the region aspire to a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East on the basis of the decision taken by the States parties to the NPT at their Review Conference and the relevant General Assembly resolutions.
