Mumbai: Nobel laureate ex-Costa Rican President wants India, nations of the world to cut military sp

By Rons Bantwal
Bellevision Media Network

Mumbai, 04 April 2014: Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchez has expressed the need to cut military spending by nations of the world including India so that more money could be spent for development, education and health.
 
 
‘The world is spending 175 trillion dollars on arms and ammunition. Poor countries of the world do not need to spend that much. India is one of the biggest importers of arms. There is need to cut the military spending by all the countries.  However, neither exporters of arms nor importers of arm want to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty that seeks to regulate the international trade in arms,’ Dr Oscar Arias said while speaking to the Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan at Raj Bhavan, here on Thursday April 3.
 
 
          Dr Oscar Arias Sanchez who was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace in 1987 for his efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Central America is currently on a visit to India under the Distinguished Visitors’ Programme. The visit is being hosted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

 

 

Dr Oscar Arias Sanchez told the Governor that he had introduced the Arms Trade treaty in the United Nations in 2009. He rued that only 11 governments out of 80 had ratified the Treaty, adding that the treaty would come into force only if it was ratified by 50 states. He said, Costa Rica which has a population of 4.5 million does not have its own army. Dr Oscar Arias was all praise for India’s democracy.
 
Welcoming the Nobel laureate to Maharashtra, Governor Sankaranarayanan explained to him the challenges before India. He also dwelt on the election process in the country.
 
Spouse of Dr Oscar Arias, Suzanne Fischel was also present. Dr Oscar Arias was President of Costa Rica between 1986 and 1990 and again from 2006 to 2010.