MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. Russia is adamant it is necessary to resume without delay consultations on setting up a zone in the Middle East, free from mass destruction weapons /WMD/, head of the Foreign Ministry’s department on non-proliferation and arms control Mikhail Ulyanov said on Saturday.
“It is incorrect to be interrupting consultations as the conference seems more realistic,” the diplomat told an international conference on non-proliferation.
“It would be of crucial importance if the conference was convened in the coming five months, however, in 2014 the conference would be impossible to be held. Far from certain, it will take place before the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT),” he said. “But if it could be convened at the beginning of 2015, then the results of the NPT Review Conference would be better.”
Ulyanov said that enormous work had been done within the framework of the preparations for the conference on setting up a zone free from mass destruction weapons in the Middle East.
“A considerable progress has been achieved,” the diplomat said. “It became possible since both Israel and the Arab countries manifested their readiness for sensible compromises.”
He said it would be reasonable to have Syria and Iran participate in those consultations.