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April 12 marked the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first human space flight in 1961. It also became an occasion for fresh appeals for maintaining the sanctity of outer space. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, delivering a special message on the occasion, said, “We support the start of negotiations on the development of an international legally binding instrument prohibiting the deployment of any types of weapons [in space], as well as the use of force or threat of force.” Echoing similar sentiments, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said earlier in the week, “we are calling on the international community to start negotiations and reach agreement on arms control in order to ensure space safety as soon as possible.” Lijian added that “China has always been in favor of preventing an arms race in space, it has been actively promoting negotiations on a legally binding agreement on space arms control jointly with Russia.”�
UPDATE 2-Iran, Turkey block rivals from joining U.N. disarmament talks Reuters 1/19/2021 Acrimony mars opening of U.N. disarmament talks Geneva body hopes to end years of deadlock Britain warns of death of multilateralism
By Emma Farge
GENEVA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Talks aimed at overcoming a years-long deadlock over disarmament at the United Nations began in acrimony on Tuesday with two countries blocking rivals from taking part in widely criticised manoeuvres that sparked concern about the forum s future.
Iran blocked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from joining as observers, lashing out at the former s military record, while Turkey blocked Cyprus in a trend that marks a significant departure from normal U.N. protocol and might set a precedent for other bodies that operate on a consensus basis.
Iran, Turkey Block Rivals From Joining UN Disarmament Talks algemeiner.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from algemeiner.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.