PM Transcripts

EL: 6. Sep. 95 21: 49 No. 0260 100/
STATEMENT BY THE CRHIMAN OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC FORUM
THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING XP
TESTING OF A NUCLEAR W~ EAPON BY FRANCE
As current Chair of the South Pacific Forumn, on behalf of my Forum colleagues I
condemn the test of a nuclear weapon by France in the South Pacific.
France has defied the wishes of the people of the South Pacific, the appeal by the Asian
nations as exprcssed in the recent ASEAN Reginal Forum statement that called on
the nuclear weapon states to bring an immediate end to testing, and the voice of an
increasing part of the European and international commnunity. The majority of the
French people also oppose France's testing program in the South Pacific.
Of particular concern to the countries of the South Pacific is the French Government's
reluctance to fully address the environmental and health risks posed by the testing.
Forum leaders reiterate thc calls made by South Pacific Environment Ministers in
Brisbane on 17 August for:
0 an immediate end to testing of nuclear weapons in the South Pacific and the closing
of associated facilities, except those required for future environmental monitoring;
France to accept full and exclusive responsibility for any adverse impacts from
French testing on the South Pacific environment and people; and
0 France to pruvide access to the international community to all French scientific
data and to the testing sites themselves to enable an independent and
comprehensive assessment of the effects of testing.
Forumi countries call on the French Government to acknowledge the weight of opinion
against nuclear testing and abandon immediately its testing program in the
South Pacific.
Forui Itders will consider nuclear testing issues as part of the South Pacific Forum
Meeting in Madang, Papua New Guinea, from 13 -15 September.
CANBERRA 7 September 1995 TEL