Sant jappoġġja r-rapport dwar l-isfidi u l-prospetti għal reġimi ta’ kontroll tal-armi u diżarm tal-armi ta’ qerda tal-massa multilaterali

Alfred Sant ivvota favur rapport dwar l-isfidi u l-prospetti għal reġimi multilaterali ta’ kontroll tal-armi u diżarm tal-armi tal-qerda tal-massa primarjament għax dan ipoġġi l-kwistjonijiet tan-nonproliferazzjoni nukleari fuq l-aġenda tal-Unjoni Ewropea.

Fl-intervent tiegħu fil-plenarja tal-Parlament Ewropew fi Strasburgu l-eks Prim Ministru Malti semma kif 53 sena ilu stati tal-armi nukleari fosthom Stat Membru tal-Unjoni Ewropea wiegħdu li jipperswadu lill-pajjiżi mhux nukleari biex jaċċettaw it-Trattat tan-Non-Proliferazzjoni iżda fl-istess ħin huma komplew jimmodernizzaw u jiżviluppaw sistemi ġodda tal-armamenti.

Il-qofol tar-rapport dwar l-isfidi u l-prospetti għal reġimi ta’ kontroll u diżarm tal-armi ta’ qerda tal-massa multilaterali jinkludi appell imressaq mill-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej li jħeġġu l-ħolqien ta’ politiki li jwittu t-triq għal dinja ħielsa mill-armi nukleari.

Sant esprima frustrazzjoni għan-nuqqas ta’ progress lejn id-diżarm nukleari li sa ċertu punt kien riżultat tal-iżbilanċ fundamentali fl-arkitettura tan-nonproliferazzjoni. Huwa qal li r-rapport jiddependi b’mod korrett fuq il-prinċipju ta’ kontroll sinifikanti fuq is-sistemi tal-armi – irrispettivament minn min ikun il-proprjetarju tagħhom, kif ukoll fuq ir-rispett sħiħ tan-normi umanitarji internazzjonali. Lil hinn minn dan, Sant żied jgħid li r-rapport jafferma wkoll li l-iżvilupp fil-futur tal-enerġija nukleari għandu jkun ristrett għal skopijiet paċifiċi, għalkemm xi Stati Membri jipprojbixxu dan.

Il-MPE Laburista wissa li l-presidenza Franċiża li ġejja tal-Kunsill aktarx timbotta għal passi ġodda lejn unjoni militari u tad-difiża u konsegwentement dan jista’ jwassal lill-Unjoni Ewropea biex issegwi bl-addoċċ l-interessi tal-minoritajiet ta’ ftit stati bl-armi nukleari li jkunu prijoritizzati fuq li ssir mutur globali għall-paċi.

“Għalhekk jiddispjaċini għall-pożizzjoni wisq kawta adottata fir-rapport dwar it-Trattat dwar il-Projbizzjoni tal-Armi Nukleari, li huwa essenzjali għat-tisħiħ tal-NPT”, huwa qal.

Ir-rapport ġie adottat b’536 vot favur, 128 kontra u 31 astensjoni.

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Sant supports the report on the challenges and prospects for multilateral weapons of mass destruction arms control and disarmament regimes

Alfred Sant voted in favour of a report on the challenges and prospects for multilateral weapons of mass destruction arms control and disarmament regimes primarily because it puts the issues of nuclear non-proliferation on the European Union agenda.

In his intervention to the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg the former Maltese Prime Minister mentioned how 53 years ago nuclear weapons states including an European Union Member State pledged to persuade non-nuclear countries to accept the Non-Proliferation Treaty but at the same time they continued to modernise and develop new armament systems. 

The crux of the report on the challenges and prospects for multilateral weapons of mass destruction arms control and disarmament regimes includes an appeal put forward by MEPs urging the creation of policies which would pave the way for a world free of nuclear weapons. 

Sant expressed frustration at the lack of progress towards nuclear disarmament which to some degree was the result of the fundamental imbalance in the non-proliferation architecture. The report correctly relies on the principle of a meaningful control over weapon systems – no matter who owns them, as well as on the full respect of international humanitarian norms, he said. Beyond that, Sant added that the report also affirms that the future development of nuclear energy should be restricted to peaceful purposes, though some Member States would ban it.

The Labour MEP warned that the upcoming French presidency of the Council will likely push for new steps towards a military and defence union and as a consequence this might lead the European Union to blindly follow the minority interests of few nuclear weapon states which would be prioritized over it becoming a global mover for peace.

“I therefore regret the too-cautious position adopted in the report regarding the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which is key to strengthening the NPT”, he said.

The report was adopted with 536 votes in favour, 128 against and 31 abstentions.