Brussels - Sale and export of surplus military, small arms and light weapons (SALW) should be halted immediately by all South East European countries, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Erhard Busek reiterated today (14 December).
His appeal follows a unilateral decision by Bosnia and Herzegovina last year to stop export of surplus SALW. "The time has come to think seriously how SEE countries could further contribute to the stability and security in the region. I am convinced that a step from all SEE governments towards voluntarily declaring a moratorium on the sale of surplus SALW, would eventually help them becoming greater 'suppliers' of security rather than just 'consumers'", Mr Busek said when he launched this appeal during the Stability Pact's Regional Table meeting in November this year.
In a letter sent to Ministers of Foreign Affairs of all eight Stability Pact beneficiary countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and UNMIK/Kosovo) he said: "Agreeing on such a moratorium would, in my view, emphasise the political will of the governments of South Eastern Europe to seriously address the risks associated with maintaining large stockpiles of SALW, and would further contribute to confidence-building both within and outside the region."
Belgrade-based South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) - a joint UNDP and Stability Pact project - already drafted a discussion paper, which gives useful background information and technical details regarding the possible moratorium. "In my view this paper provides a very useful basis for a serious discussion on this issue based on the experience from Bosnia and Herzegovina," Mr Busek added.
Attachment:
For further information, please contact Stability Pact's Spokesperson
Mr Dragan Barbutovski at the SP Secretariat in Brussels
(Tel: +32 2 401 87 25 or press@stabilitypact.org).
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PR2005/027
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