Iran invited to Mideast nuclear weapon-free zone conference

(MNA) - Jaakko Laajava, the UN secretary general representative and the Finnish under-secretary of state, has invited Iran to take part in the Middle East nuclear weapon-free zone conference which will be in Helsinki in December.

Laajava, the facilitator for the conference, extended the invitation in a meeting with Mohammad Mehdi Akhondzadeh, the Iranian deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, in Tehran on Monday.

Akhondzadeh pointed to the decree issued by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in banning the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons and insisted it is necessary to draw up a convention on banning nuclear weapons.

The Middle East nuclear weapon free zone (MENWFZ) treaty is a proposed agreement based on the already existing eight (nine including outer space) nuclear-weapon-free zones worldwide. Steps towards the establishment of such a zone began in the 1960s led to a joint declaration by Egypt and Iran in 1974 which resulted in a General Assembly resolution (broadened in 1990 to cover weapons of mass destruction.)