Soviet initiative calls for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East

The history of the ME WMDFZ can be traced back to 1958, when a Soviet proposal called for the Middle and Near East to become “a zone of peace free from nuclear and missile weapons, a zone of good neighbourliness and friendly cooperation between states.” The proposal was made in the context of the Cold War, was after it became clear that earlier calls for complete and universal disarmament would not materialize.

At the time, several other proposals to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones in Central and Eastern Europe were put forward, but these early efforts floundered amidst the U.S.-Soviet superpower competition, nuclear arms race, and proxy conflicts.

Photo credit: TASS

Cover of the TASS bulletin containing the proposal