Brussels: Europe and Arabs

The office of the European Union's foreign policy coordinator, Josep Borrell, issued a statement distributed in Brussels on Monday, saying, "The European Union deeply regrets that, despite all tireless efforts, a substantive outcome of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons has not been reached due to the lack of readiness Russia to join the consensus. In the current harsh security environment, there was more need than ever for a meaningful outcome that reinforces existing rules, and through those rules, the rules-based international order. The European Union considers the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, the fundamental basis for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, and an important element in the development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes. We recognize their enduring value and historical achievements in limiting the spread of nuclear weapons, in facilitating cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and in significantly reducing nuclear stockpiles in the past decades. In the current security environment, characterized by increasingly high tensions due to Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as other serious crises and challenges, renewed efforts must be made in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. Therefore, we stress the need to implement all commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and commitments made at previous Review Conferences, including making tangible progress towards the ultimate goal of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. We are determined to strive for a safer and more secure world for all in accordance with the goals of the Treaty in a way that promotes stability, peace and security at the international level