Lebanese PM calls for the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference with Melissa Parke, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. This organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.

Salam praised the group's leading role in advocating for nuclear disarmament and strengthening global peace.

He said he told Parke that Lebanon's long-standing position—shared by all members of the Arab League—calling for the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction has become more important than ever, as wars continue worldwide, military spending rises sharply and the number of nuclear warheads increases again after decades of decline since the mid-1980s.

Salam also reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, noting that Lebanon was among the first countries to vote in favor of adopting the treaty at the U.N. General Assembly in 2016. 

He said Lebanon will continue supporting U.N. resolutions urging all countries to join the agreement.