Russia calls for nuclear free zone in Middle East

Russia called for creating a nuclear free zone in the Middle East by the end of this year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

During a recent meeting of the Preparatory Committee for Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review held in Geneva, Russia, along with other signatory states and organizations, expressed its position that "all challenges to the nonproliferation regime should be resolved solely on the basis of NPT provisions," the ministry said in an on-line statement.

Participants of the meeting called for "urgent and focused measures" to hold a meeting on the creation of a zone free from nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, said the statement.