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Helmut Scholz

Conversion and disarmament – The order of the day

Representatives from more than 100 countries agreed on a treaty on outlawing cluster bombs in Dublin in late May. Helmut Scholz, member of the National Executive Board and members of the Board of the European Left said:

"DIE LINKE appreciates the outcome of the negotiations in Dublin as well as the long-overdue pledge on the part of Germany to destroy all weaponry in this field. In future the use, production, transport and deployment of cluster bombs is to be banned. All countries are called on immediately to support the signing and ratification of this agreement so that it can take force right after its official signing in Oslo in December."

It was high time according to Scholz that not only cluster bombs but also ABC weapons, Uranium ammunition and what are called smart mine systems were to be banned. The European Parliament had issued an appeal last weak for such a ban. DIE LINKE called on the German government to consistently advocate such a ban in order to win the countries that had not taken part in this conference such as the US, Russia, China, Israel or Pakistan over for signing and enforcing the agreement through its foreign policy steps.

"There are too many weapons on this planet", Helmut Scholz concluded. "Conversion and disarmament are top issues of the day for politics. Concluding respective international agreements as well as taking national and regional measures ought to go hand in hand with a ban on the production of and trade in such weapons systems. This also includes sanctions for violating this ban. And this certainly also includes a renunciation of testing such weapons."