COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY
ORGANISATION (CTBTO)
Letter from the Chairman to Rt Hon Douglas
Alexander MP, Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Thank you for your Explanatory Memorandum dated
9 March which Sub-Committee C considered at its meeting on 16
March. The Sub-Committee agreed to clear the document from scrutiny.
We fully support the measures being proposed
in support of the CTBTO. In addition, however, we urge you to
consider pressing Member States to agree a common position in
support of encouraging the entry into force of the CTBT at the
earliest opportunity. We believe that such a common position would
be in accordance with the overall position adopted by the EU in
its Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
in December 2003.
20 March 2006
Letter from Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
to the Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 20 March about
the Explanatory Memorandum dated 9 March on the Council Joint
Action in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Organisation (CTBTO). I am pleased that Sub-Committee C cleared
the Joint Action on 16 March 2006.
We agree that the early entry into force of
the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is very important
and will continue to take every suitable opportunity to encourage
States to sign and ratify the treaty. With this in mind, the EU's
contribution to the promotion of early entry into force of the
CTBT already forms part of Common Position 1999/533/CFSP, as implemented
by Council Decision 2003/567/CFSP of 21 July 2003. The Common
Position adopted by partners in regards to the Nuclear Non Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, agreed in 2005, called upon States
to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay and without condition,
and pending the entry into force called upon all States to abide
to a moratorium. The recently adopted Joint Action builds upon
this Common Position and reaffirms our strong commitment to the
CTBT.
6 April 2006
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