Press Advisories

26. 9. 201317:25

Speech by Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok on High-level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament, New York, August 26th 2013

Madame Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues!

Let me thank the UN Secretary General for convening this high level meeting. The Czech Republic has always been supportive of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. In the 2009 Prague Agenda speech, an ambitious vision by President Obama was set out: a world without nuclear weapons. To these ends, the Czech Republic has hosted the Prague Agenda international conferences in recent years. Their participants debated in details many topical issues we are going to discuss today.

The Czech Republic believes that the longstanding objective of complete elimination of nuclear weapons may be achieved only if the non-proliferation regime meets all demands for its strengthening. However, the past two decades have revealed the limited effectiveness not only of the Non-Proliferation Treaty but also of the arms control and non-proliferation regimes especially in the area of weapons of mass destruction and missile technology.

The 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty Action Plan covers equally all three pillars of the Treaty. As regards nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, they are both indispensable for achieving a world without nuclear weapons. The Czech Republic would like to stress that the association between the two should not be based on a negative linkage. Rather, the two must be moved forward together in a well balanced manner. The Non-Proliferation Treaty regime offers the right stage for this association to take place.

In our view, it is of the utmost importance that all states fully comply with their non-proliferation obligations. The Czech Republic requests that states pursue responsible approach to ensure the highest standard of safety and security.

In this regard, the Czech Republic supports the key role of the International Atomic Energy Agency and all its activities aimed at improving international verification standards. The universal adoption and implementation of the Agency s comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols remains essential for further progress in the field of nuclear non-proliferation.

Madame Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues!

The Czech Republic would also like to reaffirm its support to the process leading to the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The nuclear tests carried out by the Democratic People s Republic of Korea have proved the necessity of this Treaty to significantly strengthen the international security architecture. We call on all states to refrain from any action that would go against the spirit of the Treaty. Therefore, we fully support the efforts of the Provisional Technical Secretariat to further develop the verification regime.

We are of the view that the negotiations on the Treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices must commence without delay. The need for this treaty has been emphasized on many occasions and the Czech Republic belongs among its staunch supporters.

The Czech Republic as a non-nuclear weapon state has always strongly advocated for the right to develop, research and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination. Nevertheless, this right should only be exercised in conjunction with a full compliance with all non-proliferation commitments.

Indeed, it is not our intention to question this right of any country. However, we deem it unacceptable if some countries do not abide by internationally agreed and recognized standards they have committed to. It is our belief that they endanger regional stability and raise the proliferation risks.

Madame Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues!

The Czech Republic is convinced that such behaviour is one of the causes of a slow progress in the area of nuclear disarmament. We believe that the objective, we have gathered here to discuss today, is achievable only with a truly effective nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Thank you for your kind attention.