Abolition 2000 is a worldwide network working for a global treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons.
PRESS RELEASE

LUISA MORGANTINI
Vice President of the European parliament

(GUE/NGL)

STOP TO THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS: THE WORLD SHOULD LISTEN TO PUGWASH’S WORDS ABOUT DISARMEMENT AND PEACE
Strasbourg, 12th July 2007

"The past already showed us the devastation provoked by nuclear
weapons, the present is telling us that the dangers are still
present every time arsenals get refilled, and the weapons race
and the spatial shield are in agenda. On the other side, from
the Conference of Pugwash, Canada, where scientists and
politicians coming from all over the world met to discuss the
nuclear disarmament, a different message comes out: the ban of
the nuclear weapons is a responsibility towards mankind”
affirmed Luisa Morgantini, Vice President of the European
Parliament, remarking the fiftieth anniversary of the Conference
of Pugwash, a Canadian city where in July (5^th- 8^th ) a group
of international scientists met calling on the Governments of
the world to completely banish the nuclear weapons.

“Each minute of each day more than twenty-six thousand nuclear
weapons are ready to provoke destruction and death, if they were
triggered. In Europe, in particular in NATO bases, according to
the Natural Resources Defence Council there are even 480 nuclear
nukes stocked by the American forces in the European Territory.

On 10th July, a news agency claimed that 130 nukes, the biggest
quota in EU, stocked in the base of Ramstein, Germany, were
secretly removed by the German Government and tranferred to the
US in 2005, but at the moment at least other 20 nuclear weapons
still remain in other bases in Germany, and also an uncertain
number in Great Britain, Belgium, Turkey and in the Netherlands.

In Italy, according to an inquiry conducted by Rainews 24,
around 50 atomic bombs are stocked in the base of Aviano and 40
more in base of Ghedi, near Brescia.

What are the European Governments doing, and in particular the
Italian Government, to accomplish their main role, i.e. ensuring
the security and guaranteeing the protection of human rights for
their own citizens?

How is it possible that they do not recognize the risks that
these nuclear weapons, usually placed close to villages and
towns, represent for the civil population?

We have to learn from the example of the scientists of Pungwash,
Nobel Peace Prize in 1995, that since 50 years have been
committed to this cause. We must improve at each level our
efforts in fighting against nuclear weapons, as also Mikhail
Gorbachev, former Russian President and Nobel Peace Prize in
1990, reminded us in a message addressed to Pugwash.

The European Union and EU Governments should claim a political
agreement within the framework of the NATO in order to achieve a
complete removal of all nuclear weapons from European Territory.
It should be also ensured full political support in both the
Institutions and in civil and social movements, so that a Treaty
could be reached. This Treaty should control trade and
production of nuclear and no-nuclear arms, and completely ban
uranium weapons and landmines, re-allocating the resources, till
now used for death purposes, towards a real development and
welfare of citizens, for the benefit of peace and security for all.

Unfortunately, it seems that the world goes towards destruction
and the news alert: there's a will to create more “war shields”
also in European skies"

For further information Luisa Morgantini 0039 348 39 21 465 or
Office : Rome 0039.06.69950217 Brussels 0032.22845151