MINSK, 2 March (BelTA) – Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Valentin Rybakov called for continuous joint effort towards general and complete nuclear disarmament as he attended the UN disarmament and nonproliferation events held in Geneva, Switzerland on 28 February and 1 March, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In his address to the high-level segment of the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD), Valentin Rybakov called for continuous joint effort towards general and complete nuclear disarmament, creation of a system of legally binding security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states, demilitarization of outer space, prohibition of development of new types of weapons of mass destruction, and prevention of access by non-state actors to weapons of mass destruction.
The diplomat presented Belarus' disarmament and nonproliferation priorities. Valentin Rybakov drew the attention of the CD members and observers to the fact of voluntary withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus that was completed in 1996. In his statement, Belarus' representative emphasized that this fact demonstrates that responsible national-level governance in matters of disarmament and nonproliferation can and must be an essential prerequisite for achieving progress in sustainable development.
Valentin Rybakov attended an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus. The diplomat touched upon historical aspects of the process of the country's voluntary renunciation of its nuclear arsenal and shared modern opinions about this landmark event.
Besides, the CD participants were informed about Belarus' position regarding further steps towards general and complete nuclear disarmament and the relationship between disarmament and sustainable development.
