THE PREPARATORY COMMISSION ON CREATING A NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE IN LATIN AMERICAN VOTED UNANIMOUSLY IN MEXICO CITY, MEXICO, ON TUESDAY (30 AUGUST) TO SUSPEND ITS CURRENT SESSION UNTIL JANUARY 31ST NEXT YEAR. THE DELEGATES DECIDED THAT MEMBER COUNTRIES NEEDED A FURTHER FIVE MONTHS TO STUDY POINTS STILL OUTSTANDING FOR A PROJECTED DENUCLEARISATION TREATY.

ALL THE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES EXCEPT CUBA WERE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING AND THIRTEEN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, CANADA, INDIA, ITALY AND YUGOSLAVIA, SENT OBSERVERS. THE COMMISSION'S MEETING LASTED JUST THE ONE DAY.

BEFORE THE MEETING, THE COMMISSION ANNOUNCED THAT THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAD RENEWED ITS PROPOSAL FOR A WORLD CONFERENCE ON THE PROHIBITION AND DESTRUCTION OF ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS. CHINA HAS ALSO REFUSED TO SUPPORT A TREATY FOR A NUCLEAR-FREE LATIN AMERICA. THE COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENT SAID THE PROPOSAL HAD BEEN MADE BY THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN CAIRO TO THE MEXICAN REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PREPARATORY COMMISSION. IT ADDED THAT THE AMBASSADOR HAD REJECTED A REQUEST FOR CHINA TO GUARANTEE A NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE IN LATIN AMERICA ON THE GROUNDS THAT DENUCLEARISATION WOULD MEAN NOTHING WHILE THE UNITED STATES REMAINED A NUCLEAR POWER.