G8 FMs Adopt Pact on Regional, International Security Issues

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, May 24, 2003

G8 FMs Adopt Pact on Regional, International Security Issues

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The foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) most industrialized countries ended a two-day meeting Friday in Paris by adopting an agreement on a wide range of regional and international security issues.

The agreement, officially known as the "Summary of the G8 Presidency," covers such major issues as the fight against terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),Iran's nuclear program, violence and terrorism in Colombia, the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), relations between India and Pakistan, the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Middle East conflict.

The foreign ministers' meeting was in preparation for the 2003 G8 Summit which is due to take place in Evian in the French Alps from 1 to 3 June 2003, with the participation of the Heads of State or Government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Russian Federation. Leaders from a number of other countries and international organizations will also attend the meeting.

On the fight against terrorism, the agreement said the G8 countries remained totally mobilized against international terrorism.

"We welcomed the principle of creating an action plan in support of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee. We emphasized that the various actions undertaken by the G8 regarding transport security, the financing of terrorism and institutional capacity by the countries to defend themselves against terrorism usefully supplemented the measures adopted since the (2002) Kananaskis (Canada) Summit," it said.

The agreement said the G8 foreign ministers "pledged to pursue our effort by further extending accession" to relevant UN conventions in fighting terrorism and "by supplementing measures relating to the financing of terrorism."

On the issue of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the agreement said the G8 foreign ministers expresseddeep concern over the growing dangers posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and by the risk of their use by non-state actors.

"Ministers agreed to work towards defusing regional tensions that are often at the root of proliferation risks. They reaffirmedthat the proliferation threat was to be met through a common and comprehensive approach relying on the international institutions, first and foremost among them the United Nations Security Council,"the agreement said.

The agreement contended that the nuclear issue of the DPRK "constitutes a threat to international peace and stability," saying that the DPRK's compliance with its non-proliferation commitments is a matter of concern for the entire international community.

The nuclear issue of the DPRK erupted in October last year when the United States and its allies accused the DPRK of pursuing a nuclear program in violation of a 1994 pact, and suspended oil shipments to the DPRK. The DPRK responded by saying it would reactivate its frozen facilities. It also expelled UN monitors and withdrew from the global Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on January 10.

The agreement said the UN Security Council "has been and remains seized of the matter and should play a constructive role."

It urged the DPRK to "respect its commitments, to refrain from any action that would aggravate the situation and to embark on thefull, prompt, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear weapons program."

The agreement said Iran's nuclear program is also "a cause of concern."

On a visit to Tehran in February, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Mohamed El-Baradei announced he had discovered that Iran was constructing a facility to enrich uranium,which can be used for making nuclear weapons, near Natanz. Iraq has repeatedly explained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

The agreement urged Iran to allay this issue "by building confidence, including by signing and implementing an additional protocol with the IAEA and by acceding to the international instruments to which it has not yet adhered."

It also called on Iran to uphold its commitment to the fight against terrorism and to fully implement relevant international resolutions and conventions.

According to the agreement, the G8 foreign ministers expressed deep concern about the so-called "narco-terrorism" in and from Colombia and about the risk of seeing Colombian violence and terrorism, fueled by drugs, jeopardize the country's efforts to defend democracy, and extend it to other countries in the region.

It said the G8 foreign ministers supported action taken by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the Colombian government to strengthen the authority of the state and unreservedly supported the policy of firmness towards illegal armed groups in the country.

Colombia's 40-year-old war is usually reported in terms of drugs, murder and kidnapping, but it is a far more complex struggle. Illegal armed groups in the country often terrorize people and pose a threat to public order. Since his election as president in May last year, Uribe, an independent Liberal, has adopted a tough policy on narco-terrorism and illegal armed groups.

On the outbreak of SARS in parts of the world, the agreement said the issue "went beyond the regional framework." It said the entire international community, and especially the industrialized countries, should stand firmly against it.

"Considering the global nature of this epidemic, ministers stressed the collective responsibility of the international community, which calls for the joint management of the problem," the agreement said.

The agreement said the G8 foreign ministers welcomed efforts undertaken by both India and Pakistan to normalize their relations,following the initiative taken by India and Pakistan's positive response.

"We solemnly called on the two parties to continue on the path of bilateral dialogue and rapprochement, which they are ready to support," it said.

On the situation in Afghanistan, the agreement said that normalization in Afghanistan is an essential factor for regional stability.

It said the G8 foreign ministers welcomed the progress accomplished since the formation of the Afghan Transitional Administration chaired by Hamid Karzai in 2001 and efforts made byit. "However, they remain deeply concerned about the difficulties still confronting the country, particularly in the field of internal security. They emphasized that all local chiefs would nowhave to disarm and submit to the central government," it said.

The agreement said the G8 foreign ministers invited the United Nations to work towards the improvement of situation in Afghanistan, and in particular to support the organization of free,credible and democratic elections in the country in 2004.

The agreement said the G8 foreign ministers welcomed the UN Security Council's adoption of a resolution lifting the sanctions on Iraq. "They stressed that this resolution made it possible to undertake the reconstruction and stabilization of Iraq, after so many years of hardship and war, in a context agreed upon by the international community," the agreement said.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council approved, almost unanimously, the lifting of sanctions on Iraq. 14 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the US-sponsored resolution. The 15th member, Syria, boycotted the vote saying it wasn't given enough time to study the draft. The sanctions were imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait 13 years ago.

On the Middle East conflict, the agreement highly commented on a roadmap for peace in the region initiated recently by the "Quartet" -- the United States, European Union, United Nations, andRussia.

The roadmap sets out clear phases, timelines, target dates and benchmarks aiming at progress through reciprocal steps by the boththe Palestinians and Israel in the political, security, economic, humanitarian and institution-building fields, under the auspices of the Quartet. The destination is a final and comprehensive settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict by 2005.

Both the Palestinians and Israel have accepted the plan with reservations.

The agreement said the path set out by the Quartet roadmap offers a historic opportunity to solve the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

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