Russia signs up to Pelindaba with “exception” for US nuclear base on Diego Garcia

17.03.2011

Russia has endorsed the Pelindaba Treaty for the African Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone on Monday 14 March, but with a very important reservation on Diego Garcia. This reservation shows the extremely dangerous position that Mauritius, as the country with sovereignty over Diego Garcia, finds itself in, if the State continues to say it welcomes the nuclear military base.

The Russian Parliament, the Duma, has, in other words, said that if the USA/UK use the nuclear weapons based on or around the waters of Diego Garcia, or any of their allies rely on these weapons, Russia has not bound itself not to retalliate. Deputy Foreign Minister Rybkhov said the Treaty “does not apply to the U.S. base of Diego Garcia (an island of the Chagos Archipelago, the Indian Ocean).” He said, “This is an important reservation, which allows us to fully maintain our own security” in situations where “the potential use of nuclear weapons is possible" (ITR-TASS)..