Finland to host conference on WMD-free Middle East

Finland will host a disarmament conference in 2012, focusing on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Finnish Foreign Ministry said on Friday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday named Jaakko Laajava, Under-Secretary of State of Finnish Foreign Ministry, as the facilitator of preparations for the conference. According to Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, the appointment to this challenging task represents a significant recognition of Finland. "The zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East is an important goal, which, if realized, would constitute a major step in advancing peace and stability in the region.," Tuomioja said. "The conference to be organized in Finland will for its part be a way to promote dialogue among the countries in the region in security issues. We are committed to organizing the conference and will work in close cooperation with countries in the region to that end," Tuomioja added The decision to convene the conference was made at the 2010 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The conference seeks to advance the goal of establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction set by States Parties to the NPT in 1995. According Finnish media, the meeting's participants are expected to include the representatives of all Middle East states, as well as those of the United States, Russia and Britain.