VIENNA: Egypt has sent a high-level protest to dozens of European nations expressing astonishment and regret at their refusal to endorse Cairo s call for a Middle East nuclear free zone at a conference last month. The letter, which was made available Wednesday to The Associated Press, also asks for an explanation. The Oct. 4 letter, signed by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, was an unusual reflection of rancor on the part of Cairo with the decision by most EU nations and aspiring members to move away from their traditional support of such a zone. It also highlighted the tensions over the issue. Egypt and other Muslim nations consider Israel the main nuclear threat in the region. The United States and its allies see Iran s defiance of the UN Security Council in its development of technology that could be used to make the bomb as the greatest menace to Middle East peace. Iran says it wants to perfect the technology - uranium enrichment - not to make the fissile core of nuclear warheads but for fuel to generate power. European nations at past general conferences of the International Atomic Energy Agency have voted in favor of establishing a zone free of such arms. But at last month s session, 25 of the 27 EU nations abstained on the resolution addressing the issue and introduced by Egypt, as did other countries hoping to join the union. In all, 47 nations abstained. Israel and the United States voted against, as they have at past sessions, while 53 countries - Muslim states and their supporters from the developing world - backed the proposal. Up to last year, the resolution on Application of IAEA Safeguards in the Middle East had been adopted by consensus, but in 2006, and again this year, Israeli objections forced a vote. Last year 98 nations approved the resolution, with three abstaining and the United States and Israel opposed. Egypt learned with astonishment and regret ... that this support was no longer forthcoming at the General Conference s latest session, said the letter. Egypt is unaware of the substantive reasons that led to such a decision being taken by your country and I would therefore greatly appreciate your views on the matter. The letter also asked for renewed (EU) support for Egypt s resolution at next year s general conference. There was no immediate response from most European capitals to phone calls made after office hours requesting comment. But the Italian Foreign Ministry said Minister Massimo D Alema will send a letter to his Egyptian counterpart in the coming days explaining the reasons for the EU s abstention. This year, Israel and the United States opposed two paragraphs - one calling all nations in the Middle East not to develop, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, the other urging nuclear weapons states to refrain from any action hindering the establishment of a Mideast zone free of nuclear weapons. Both passages were clearly aimed at Israel, which is thought to have nuclear weapons despite its no tell policy on the issue. Israel counts on the United States as its chief ally for support - both in the outside world and in forums such as the conference. -Associated Press writer Ariel David contributed to this report from Rome. Associated Press
