ISLAMABAD, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Foreign Affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz reaffirmed Tuesday his country's commitment not to transfer weapons of mass destruction to states or non-state actors.
In a keynote address at a regional seminar in Islamabad on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1540, the adviser said that as a responsible nuclear state, Pakistan will continue to partner with the international community to prevent non-state actors from acquiring these weapons.
Resolution 1540, adopted by the Security Council in 2004, is one of the important instruments in the global non-proliferation architecture as it seeks to prevent non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
"As demonstration of this commitment, Pakistan has taken a wide range of legal, regulatory, organizational and enforcement measures which have been reported through four national reports. Holding of this seminar was another manifestation of this commitment," Sartaj Aziz said.
He underlined that states which posses advanced capabilities should have an equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to the export control governance architecture.
The two-day regional seminar starting on Tuesday is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, and brings together more than 10 countries from south and central Asia, China, Russia, representatives of the 1540 Committee Group of Experts and international organizations including the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) and INTERPOL.
The seminar aims to promote regional cooperation for effective national implementation of resolution 1540 including through sharing of best practices and national experiences.
