Australian Department oF Foreign Affairs and Trade Press Release CTBT Mission

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COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY MISSION

The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob McMullan, announced today that a high level delegation of Australian officials would leave Australia today for consultations with governments of the five declared nuclear weapon states and Japan on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

The initiative for the CTBT mission arose from the Government's decision on 22 June to adopt a package of measures in response to France's decision to resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific. The mission will argue the case for a strong and effective Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and will urge that the negotiating process for the treaty be accelerated.

Senator McMullan said that early conclusion of a CTBT was a longstanding policy goal for Australia, and one which has been made more pressing by France's decision to resume testing in the South Pacific.

"A comprehensive test ban treaty is the only lasting solution to the recurrent nightmare of French nuclear testing in the South Pacific," Senator McMullan said.

"The mission will press the nuclear weapon states to take the lead in overcoming existing impediments to progress in the negotiations, and to find ways of bridging negotiating positions.

"In particular, the mission will be examining ways to reach early agreement on the scope of the Treaty, as well as on a range of legal and institutional, and verification issues, including entry into force provisions, the composition of the Executive Council of the CTBT Organisation, funding for an international monitoring system, and a conceptual approach to on-site inspections.

"In addition to visiting Washington, London, Paris, Moscow and Beijing, the mission would also visit Geneva, the location of the CTBT negotiations, and Tokyo. Japan and Australia share the same objectives with regard to the CTBT."

Australia's Ambassador to France, Mr Alan Brown, will be returning to Paris to enable him to participate in the mission's discussions with French officials. The mission will be led by Mr Kim Jones, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It will also include Australia's Ambassador for Disarmament, Mr Richard Starr, who is based in Geneva.

Further information: Steve Gartland, 018 482 887