I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina[1] and Georgia, the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as San Marino align themselves with this statement.

The EU reaffirms its full support for the establishment in the Middle East of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. We continue to consider the 1995 NPT Resolution as valid, until its goals and objectives are achieved. We strongly support the outcome of the 2010 NPT Review Conference on the Middle East.  

The EU notes the four sessions of the "UN Conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction" and their outcomes, and the holding of the fifth session this week in New York. As stated in the 2010 Action Plan, the EU recalls that such zones can only be established on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among States of the region concerned. Especially in the current tense context, we strongly encourage all stakeholders, and especially the States of the region, to engage in meaningful consultations in order to build an inclusive and consensus-based process towards the implementation of the 1995 Resolution.  

The EU reiterates its firm support for the universalisation and full, complete, and effective implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its three pillars. We continue to call on all States who have not yet acceded to the NPT and all WMD related Treaties to do so and on all States to abide by them. We call on States to bring into force Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocols and, as applicable, to rescind or modify their Small Quantities Protocols. Universal subscription to the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation would also contribute to the regional confidence building necessary for progress towards a WMD free zone in the Middle East.  In this regard, we welcome Qatar’s subscription to the Code in March this year.

The EU will continue to support this process and to help create a conducive atmosphere. Last year, the EU allocated a further 2.1 million Euros to the UN Institute for Disarmament Research for this purpose.

Thank you, Chair.

[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.