China and Russia on Tuesday submitted to a UN-sponsored
disarmament conference a joint proposal for an international treaty
to ban the deployment of weapons in outer space.
The draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons
in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space
Objects (PPWT), was presented at a plenary session of the
Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral forum for
disarmament negotiations.
"The draft PPWT prohibits the deployment of weapons of any kind
in space, and the use or threat of force against space objects,"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the session, attended
by representatives of its 65 members.
"The Treaty is to eliminate existing lacunas in international
space law, create conditions for further exploration and use of
space, preserve costly space property, and strengthen general
security and arms control," he added.
Lavrov also urged member states of the Conference on Disarmament
to take seriously the issue of preventing an arms race in outer
space.
"It's time, by way of preempting, to start serious practical
work in this field. Indeed, to prevent a threat is always easier
than to remove it," he said.
In a message to the conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang
Jiechi also stressed the importance of preventing an arms race in
outer space and urged member states to seriously consider the
Sino-Russian draft treaty.
Preventing an arms race and safeguard the peace and security of
outer space is in the interest of all countries, said the message,
which was read by Li Baodong, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Office
in Geneva.
It's necessary for the international community to strengthen the
existing space law and to work out a new legal document on this,
Yang said in the message.
Yang also urged member states to start serious discussion on the
draft treaty as soon as possible and try to reach agreement on
it.
(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2008)
