International issues

Barack Obama has abandoned the controversial Pentagon plan to build a missile defence system in Europe. The plan had long tensed the relations with Russia. It also represents an stategic shift to not threaten Iran but to go to the negotiations table instead. “Europe for Peace” and the Czech Nonviolent activism against the missile defence shield helped to get to this decision.

It is a very important gesture of détente and peace by President Obama and we want to highlight it and applaud it around the world. We support all efforts of the US President to advance towards global nuclear disarmament. We invite Obama to support the World March, something that has already been done by almost 20 National Presidents and Governments of the World.

Labour MP Martijn van Dam responded to remarks by US President Barack Obama that the number of nuclear arms in the world should be reduced. Two months ago the president signed an agreement with his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, to work towards nuclear arms reduction. The governing Labour party thinks that the Netherlands can remove its nuclear devices from Dutch soil.

With the upcoming special session of the UN Security Council on September 24 approaching, Abolition 2000 calls on world leaders, “to focus attention and promote tangible steps that would reduce the nuclear weapons danger, and move decisively toward a nuclear-weapon-free-world, based on the UN Secretary General’s five – point plan.”

President Evo Morales visits Madrid in the next few days. Using this state visit, the Evo Welcoming Committee has organised a meeting with the President and thousands of Bolivians, Latin American immigrants and Spaniards, who will show their support for the Andean leader. This event takes place on Sunday 13, at 5pm, at the Cubierta de Leganés.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli plan to build 455 housing units in settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank is unacceptable. The plan approved by Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has the opposition of many countries. The proposal contravenes urgent appeals by the White House and the European Union to end construction of new houses in the West Bank.

From August 26 to 28, the XXIst United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues – one of the most important forums for dialogue on nuclear non-proliferation – took place in the Japanese city of Niigata. “The Nuclear-Armed States must lead by example by reducing their nuclear weaponry”, stated Kanat B. Saudabayev, Secretary of State of Kazakstan.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OEA), José Miguel Insulza, assured that the body would not recognize the electoral process proposed by the de-facto Government of Honduras. He stated that the elections would only be valid if the constitutional president Manual Zelaya were allowed to return.

The ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is in Washington, where he will meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday. Zelaya criticized the Honduran coup regime for blocking his return and going ahead with an election campaign. Zelaya’s meeting with Clinton comes days after a State Department review advised that his ouster be officially declared a “military coup.”

The United Nations General Assembly awarded President Evo Morales a medal and scroll, naming him “Global Defender of Mother Earth”. The ceremony took place at the Palacio Quemado, the presidential palace in La Paz. The honor was bestowed after the Bolivian president’s tireless efforts before the United Nations defending the environment and natural resources.