Press Conference by East-West Institute on Disarmament at the United Nations


Sergio Duarte, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs (TBC); Sergey Kislyak, Russian Ambassador to the U.S. and an expert on weapons of mass destruction; Max Kampelman, Former Head of the U.S. Delegation to the Negotiations with the Soviet Union on Nuclear and Space Arms; Ved Malik, Former Chief of Army Staff of India (TBC); and John Mroz, President of the East West Institute, to brief on a new initiative to break the logjam on nuclear non-proliferation
This was discussed as an action agenda and seizing the moment. They said that many people are asking questions about armaments. The concept is to launch an effort to build consensus.

Ambassador Kislyak: It is not a Russian initiative , but they have been invited to comment and participate in the debate. Russia has put forth initiatives. What is missing is a willingness to work on this. Nuclear weapons security is important to be worked on. The START treaty expires next year. Russia has always been supportive a nuclear free Mid-East. On the issue of regional enrichment centers the issue is to make it attractive to countries like Iran but you need to make it a joint venture. The proposal is to have Russians servicing the centrifuges. So far the Iranian government has not accepted this proposal but they have not rejected it. Other former Soviet Bloc countries have been interested in the proposal. The current treaty is for reductions and verification of those reductions. It is being implemented successfully. What the Russians want is to also cover delivery systems and that includes a number of rules that they have established such as accounting rules. Some of our American friends do not see the post START treaty in the same way. There are things that must go first before you start the zero option such as START. The question is how do you move to zero? It has to be practical not just theoretical.

Ved Malik: When it comes to nuclear weapons this must be discussed on a global level not regional.

John Mroz: It is now possible to speak in the US for the first time to get rid of all nuclear weapons. It could not have been spoken about before. This is a mobilization to work with many other NGO’s. Assumption that this is a new time and that also the global economic crises is related to this. There was real verification that the North Korean’s nuclear facility was destroyed. In the Secretary General’s Five points that he proposed today were actionable items. Things are in flux and the question is how you can use this time.

Ambassador Kampleman: This is an effort by both Democrats and Republicans to understand that the world is in serious danger. There is a keen and not a partisan interest in disarmament. Recent public opinion polls show that this issue concerns the American people. The task is to have a coordinated effort. The human race is theoretically in some danger. The Zero option is not making a campaign for fewer weapons we are making a campaign for zero weapons. One weapon can do enormous damage.