In his statement during the general debate, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs called on Russia to immediately cease all military actions in Ukraine and stressed the long lasting implications of Russian aggression for the NPT. Deputy Minister Przydacz underlined the threats to international order posed by Russian aggression which constitute „an attempt to subjugate and destroy another state, characteristic to colonial thinking and its modus operandi”. – „On top of that, we are facing a blatant violation of the Budapest Memorandum, providing Ukraine with security guarantees in exchange for its commitment to eliminate nuclear weapons from its territory” – he stressed. Deputy Minister added that Russia continues to use nuclear threats, put on high alert its strategic forces and conducted attacks against nuclear power plants and installations, which consequence is „the shadow of the Chernobyl-like disaster looming over Europe again”. – „All these aggressive actions are in contradiction with the spirit and the letter of international commitments undertook by Russia in the nuclear sphere" – Deputy Minister Przydacz said, describing Russian behavior as „terrorist”. – „Today it is a must to underline the NPT central role in global non-proliferation and disarmament system as well as to reemphasize and renew its commitments” – he concluded.

During the NPT Conference, Deputy Minister Marcin Przydacz took part in the opening of a discussion co-organized by Poland and Ukraine on Ukraine's nuclear security and safety. He also participated in a high-level meeting of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) together with, among others, the Japanese Prime Minister and the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, which resulted in a joint statement issued afterwards.

In New York, Deputy Minister held trilateral consultations with Deputy Foreign Ministers Mykola Tochytsky of Ukraine and Graham Stuart of the United Kingdom. The program also included a series of bilateral talks with: Bonnie Jenkins – US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Mykola Tochytsky – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Thijs van der Plas – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Tim Ayres – Assistant Minister for Trade of Australia, and Miroslav Jenča – UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas.

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The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), signed in 1968, is one of the most important pillars of global security and the non-proliferation regime. Its strength and importance is confirmed by its universal nature - it has been signed and ratified by 191 countries. It enjoys the unequivocal support of NATO allies and all European Union countries. During the current NPT Review Conference, Poland chairs of one of the three main committees. The Conference will conclude on August 26.

 

Łukasz Jasina
MFA Press Spokesperson