Russia's Ryabkov Discusses Arms Control, Middle East With Israeli Ambassador - Ministry
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Israeli Ambassador to Russia Gary Koren discussed on Tuesday issues related to arms control and the situation in the Middle East, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
"The parties exchanged opinions about the broad agenda, including the urgent issues, related to the international relations, non-proliferation matters with a focus on the Middle East region. The parties also considered several aspects of arms control," the ministry said in a statement.
One of the key arms control issues for the Middle East is the possible establishment of a zone in the region that would be free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction (WMDFZ).
The idea to create a nuclear free zone in the Middle East was first voiced by Egypt and Iran back in 1974, but it then evolved into a proposal to create a zone that would be free of all other types of weapons of mass destruction as well.
A conference on the establishment of a WMDFZ in the Middle East was initially supposed to have been organized in 2012, but never happened. The conference is now slated to take place in New York in November. Moscow has expressed the hope that Israel, which is thought to possess nuclear weapons, will join the conference.