Brende: – Does not support unilateral disarmament

Foreign Minister BrendeBrussel,Foreign Minister Brende.Photo : Johan Falnes / NTB scanpix

Foreign Minister Brende says that will not support a proposal that weakens NATO as a defence alliance. Norway voted together with 27 NATO nations against the UN proposal for nuclear disarmament.

The draft resolution to start negotiations to ban nuclear weapons received 123 votes in New York Thursday. Altogether 38 countries voted against and 16 countries chose not to vote.

– A process to ban nuclear weapons, which is not supported by any of the countries that have such weapons, unfortunately hinders progress, commented Brende.

He believes disarmament and non-proliferation are key to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons and will have specific and credible initiatives in these areas.

Brende also refers to the parliamentary decision where it was agreed that Norway would work long-term for a legally binding framework for the abolition of nuclear weapons where the countries with nuclear weapons were also included.

– If one starts with prohibition, the countries with nuclear weapons will not participate.

Then it becomes a pure political selection, and it brings us no closer to a world without nuclear weapons. They also risk an impending disarmament in other forums, stresses Brende.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today