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Conventional arms control: Joint initiative by Denmark, Poland and Germany
On the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly in New York Foreign Minister Westerwelle today hosted, together with his Danish and Polish colleagues Villy Søvndal and Radek Sikorski, a meeting on conventional arms control in Europe.
Below is the joint press release issued in this connection by the Federal Foreign Office and the Danish and Polish foreign ministries:
Conventional arms control in Europe today is in need of modernization.
The foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and Denmark today confirmed their strong commitment to move the issue forward.
The foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and Denmark at a meeting today in New York called for renewed engagement in establishing a well-functioning and up to date conventional arms control system in Europe.
The existing conventional arms control regime in Europe is in need of modernization: Since entering into force in the 1990s the world has changed, military capabilities have developed in an almost revolutionary manner, new threats have emerged and threat perceptions have changed.
Therefore, Poland, Germany and Denmark strongly believe it is high time to think anew and establish the next generation of conventional arms control in Europe. Conventional arms control is and remains a cornerstone of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture.
The three governments will take a number of initiatives to further the issue in the coming months.
