Central Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone

HC Deb 09 April 2003 vol 403 c307W

Mr. Soley

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the decision to create a Central Asian nuclear weapon-free zone by Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; and what implications this has for the UK as a nuclear weapon state. [107204]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The UK supports the establishment of nuclear weapon free zones on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the states of the region concerned. Together with China, France, Russia and the United States, we have participated in formal consultations with the five Central Asian States concerning the establishment of the draft Central Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and its draft Protocol. As a nuclear weapon State the UK intends giving a negative security assurance to those States forming this zone, by becoming party to the draft protocol. This would be subject to satisfactory conclusion being reached over the language in the draft Treaty and Protocol.