Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister IWAYA Takeshi says Japan supports the resolution adopted at the 1995 Nuclear Proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference that calls for the Middle East to be a zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, Iwaya was asked why countries in the Middle East should not have the protection of nuclear weapons, especially as countries like Japan already have such protection from America’s nuclear umbrella.

“The NPT system has the objective of nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Iwaya replied. “The goal is to ensure that nuclear weapons do not spread and that existing nuclear weapons are reduced through disarmament efforts.”

Iwaya said Japan has a similar aim, so that more countries will not seek to rely on nuclear weapons for their defense. 

However, he added, “The security policy should be appropriately determined by each country based on its specific security environment.”