Go to mediabankUN flag. File photoUN, Oct 26Belarus, Venezuela, China, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria and the Russian Federation are in favor of the early start of negotiations on a legally binding instrument to prevent an arms race in outer space, Deputy Head of the Russian delegation Konstantin Vorontsov said at a meeting of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly. «We confirm the need to take practical measures to launch negotiations on a legally binding instrument of a comprehensive nature in order to prevent an arms race in outer space with guarantees of non-deployment of weapons in outer space, non-use of force or threat of force against space objects,» Vorontsov said.
Russia requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on biolaboratories in Ukraine «We call on all UN member states to start developing such a tool as soon as possible in order to preserve outer space as a peaceful environment for the benefit of all mankind,» he added. According to him, the basis for such work is a Russian-Chinese draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Use of Force or the Threat of Force against Space Objects.» The agreement we propose could include a ban on the placement of any type of weapons in outer space, as well as the use of force or the threat of force in outer space, from space or in relation to space,» Vorontsov said on behalf of the Russian Federation. The diplomat called on the states to assume a number of obligations. In particular, do not use space objects as a means of destroying any targets on the ground, in air and outer space, do not destroy, damage, disrupt the normal functioning or change the flight path of space objects of other states.
Russia condemned the UN Secretary General’s ignorance of Israel’s shelling of SyriaAccording to him, Moscow also calls on countries to promise not to create, test or deploy space weapons of any type based to perform any tasks, including for missile defense, as anti-satellite weapons, for use against targets on the ground and or in the air, as well as to eliminate such systems already available to states. As Vorontsov stated, Russia calls for a promise not to test and not use manned spacecraft for military, including anti-satellite purposes. «As an intermediate step, we are considering the the international initiative «On not being the first to place weapons in space», which at the moment is the only effective tool for keeping space free of weapons,» Vorontsov said. According to him, more than 30 states are already participating in the initiative. As Vorontsov pointed out, Russia is ready to discuss space security issues with all interested states.
