UNITED NATIONS, March 20: Welcoming the entry into force of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a “nuclear-weapon-free zone” in the Middle East.

Responding to a question at a briefing, his spokesperson said that the UN chief had always supported a call for creating a nuclear-free zone in Middle East.

Israel is the only country which reportedly has an arsenal of more than 200 nuclear warheads, although it has never officially acknowledged the reports but it has never denied them either.

Israel objects to any peaceful nuclear research by Iran and has threatened to bomb Tehran's facilities in recent months. The United States has consistently supported Israel's demand but it has never asked Israel to reveal its arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The nuclear free weapons zone treaty for Central Asia was opened for signature on September 8, 2006, it has now been ratified by all five Central Asian states and will enter into force on March 21.

The treaty for which the government of Kyrgyzstan is the depositary, has five states parties: the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

This will be the first nuclear-weapon-free zone to be established in the northern hemisphere and will also encompass an area where nuclear weapons previously existed. It will also be the first nuclear-weapon-free zone that requires its parties to conclude with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and bring into force an additional protocol to their safeguards agreements with IAEA within 18 months after the entry into force of the treaty, and to comply fully with the provisions of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.
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