Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with Mr. Jaakko Laajava, facilitator of the Helsinki Conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction

The Secretary-General met today with Mr. Jaakko Laajava, the facilitator on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.

They reaffirmed their commitment to convene the Helsinki Conference as soon as possible and appealed to the States of the Middle East to continue their constructive engagement, including at the forthcoming preparatory meetings in Geneva, aimed at finalizing the preparations for the Conference in 2014.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed his strong support for the tireless efforts of the facilitator and expressed his appreciation to the Government of Finland for its support.