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Cairo [Egypt], September 27 (ANI/WAM): Egypt has warned of the current stalemate in achieving nuclear disarmament and of the grave implications of recent irresponsible Israeli statements suggesting the possible use of nuclear weapons in the Gaza Strip.
Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, condemned Israel's systematic starvation policies and forced displacement of the Palestinian people, describing them as unprecedented violations of international law and international humanitarian law. His remarks came during his participation in the High-level Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80). The minister reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to achieving the universality of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), particularly in the Middle East, as the only guarantee to protect the peoples of the region from the dangers of nuclear weapons. He stressed that the 1995 Review and Extension Conference's resolution on establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons is an integral part of the package that enabled the indefinite extension of the Treaty. He further underlined the importance of observing this international day to highlight the threat nuclear weapons pose to global peace and security, reiterating Egypt's full support for the statements of the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Group, and the Arab Group calling for the elimination of this threat. Abdelatty emphasised that nuclear-weapon states bear both a moral and legal responsibility, under the NPT, to dismantle their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable and irreversible manner. He stressed the need for concrete steps towards nuclear disarmament to pave the way for the success of the 11th NPT Review Conference, particularly as 15 years have passed since the last review conference adopted a final document. (ANI/WAM)
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