The Conference continued at its usual pace with no real surprises, suggesting Egypt’s walkout may not have as great an effect as its delegation may have hoped.
Egypt announced that its delegation was withdrawing from the remainder of the PrepCom due to the perceived lack of seriousness in establishing a WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East.
Friday, April 26, 2013, featured the conclusion of Cluster 1 debates on negative security assurances and the commencement of Cluster 2, nonproliferation issues.
The morning session was set aside for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address the PrepCom, while the afternoon saw the continuation of general debate and the beginnings of discussions on Cluster 1 issues.
The roundtable featured IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, MacArthur Foundation President and former US Assistant Secretary of State Dr. Robert Gallucci, and CNS Founding Director Dr. William Potter.