Scottish National Party MSP Bill Kidd will this week join international representatives at the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in Geneva.

Mr Kidd, who is attending with Scottish CND will address a meeting of NGOs at the conference on Monday 28th April.  He will set out the opposition of the SNP to the renewal of Trident, the actions of the Scottish Government’s working group on Trident and the opposition of the Scottish Parliament to the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

Speaking from Glasgow Mr Kidd said: "It is an enormous privilege to have been invited to speak on Scotland’s behalf against the renewal of nuclear weapons.

"For the first time ever Scotland has a government and a parliament opposed to nuclear weapons with a clear vision of a nuclear free Scotland.
 

"Opposition to the UK Government’s decision to spend a minimum of £25 billion and possibly three times that amount on a new generation of Trident to sit in the Clyde is growing every day.

"Scottish participation in this conference shows that the views of the SNP, the Parliament and the Government have been heard.  Across the world anti-nuclear campaigners are looking to Scotland to change the mind and the attitude of the UK Government.

"The review conference in 2010 will determine the future for nuclear non-proliferation.  The actions of the UK in renewing Trident are threatening any opportunity there may be to reduce the number of nuclear weapons, to end the spread of nuclear weapons across the world and to dissuade other governments and countries from entering a new arms race."

Note:

The Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will hold its second session from 28 April to 9 May 2008 in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

http://www.un.org/NPT2010/

http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/2008index.html