Ireland has an excellent track record in the global effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons, former UN chief weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix said tonight.
Former UN chief weapons inpector Dr Hans Blix, right, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern. Julien Behal/PA
Dr Blix is in Ireland to publicise the report of the independent Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Commission, of which he is chairman.
The 'Weapons of Terror: Freeing the World of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Arms' contains 60 practical recommendations to help the international community to promote disarmament and arms control.
The former Swedish Government minister told a new conference in Leinster House: "All countries in the global village have a role to play and of course Ireland has a long and excellent tradition, and is looked to with great respect."
He added: "The only countries in Europe that have nuclear weapons are Britain and France — and I hope they take good care of them."
Dr Blix had earlier addressed a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs in Leinster House and met with Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern at Iveagh House.
Mr Ahern described Dr Blix's report as highly significant and particularly timely.
He said: "Dr Blix and his international panel of experts have drawn-up a set of comprehensive proposals which address the major challenges facing the international community today if we are to make progress in achieving a world free from the threat of weapons of mass destruction. This is an issue of key importance to our foreign policy.
"The report's emphasis on support for a rules-based international order applied and enforced through effective multilateral institutions, with the UN Security Council as the ultimate global authority, is very much in line with Ireland's long-standing policy in this area.
"I note with particular interest the report's recommendations regarding nuclear disarmament, a field in which Ireland has been highly active over the years, most recently in its capacity as a member of the New Agenda Coalition."
The New Agenda Coalition (NAC) was launched in Dublin in June 1998 by the foreign ministers of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden.
The ministers were concerned by the lack of progress in nuclear disarmament efforts and sought to inject fresh thinking and a new momentum into multilateral consideration of these issues.
Mr Ahern noted that Ireland was invited to be become the first signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968.
"Since that time, support for the NPT has been our highest priority in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation," Mr Ahern added.
Dr Blix will tomorrow address a public meeting in Dublin's Westin Hotel, hosted by the Forum on Europe.