After the conference organized by INESAP and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in Berlin on January 24-26, the conference organizers issues a press release under the title "War Is Not the Solution to the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction – Disarmament and cooperative security instead of missile defense." The following is an extract of the release.
After considering the material at the conference, the sponsoring organizations reached the following conclusions:
War is not the answer to the dangers of weapons of mass destruction proliferation. Universal, comprehensive solutions should be sought through diplomacy. The nuclear weapons states should lead by example, fulfilling their Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) obligations to achieve nuclear disarmament, including the 13 practical steps set forth at the 2000 NPT Review Conference.
Ballistic missile defenses must be considered globally, rather than from the perspective of any individual state. These systems are destabilizing, extraordinarily expensive and unlikely to be effective. They are not intended as a substitute for nuclear deterrence, but rather to work together with nuclear arsenals to assure domination by the most powerful states in all forms of warfare. To prevent an emerging missile threat, the international control and disarmament of ballistic missiles is more practical and more efficient.
Ballistic missile defenses also open the door to a new problem unique in human history: the weaponization of space. Such an unprecedented step would undermine the security of all nations and spark an arms race of unimaginable complexity.
Despite today's dismal prospects, we must continue to explore obstacles and opportunities for universal, non-discriminatory disarmament measures. Russia and Europa can play a key role, both immediately and in the long term. By insisting on peaceful solutions to proliferation dangers within the framework of international law today, they can preserve the hope for genuine progress towards elimination of all weapons of mass destruction in the future.
