On 3-4 November 2021, on the heels of the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Madrid Conference, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) and the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project (NPIHP) at the Wilson Center hosted a virtual roundtable as part of their 1990s Arms Control and Regional Security (ACRS) Working Group oral history project. The event convened around 20 former ACRS delegates from key regional and extra-regional states for an in-depth exchange on their personal recollections from the ACRS process. In four sessions, which were conducted virtually over two days, participants revisited: the genesis of ACRS; the format and process of the ACRS Working Group; fault lines and inflection points during ACRS; and its successes, failures, and lessons learnt from the process.

The interview with Nabil Fahmy provides an in-depth view of Egypt’s position and strategies during the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. Fahmy emphasizes Egypt's focus on addressing regional asymmetries, particularly Israel's nuclear ambiguity, while advocating for global disarmament and non-proliferation. He reflects on Egypt's frustrations with unfulfilled promises from the U.S. and Israel, including failed bilateral and multilateral talks like ACRS, which underpinned Egypt’s skepticism toward the indefinite extension of the NPT. Despite knowing that indefinite extension was inevitable, Egypt used the Middle East resolution as leverage, securing its inclusion as part of the final package. Fahmy underscores Egypt's practical yet principled stance, acknowledging the challenges of disarmament and the limits of what could realistically be achieved given the prevailing geopolitical dynamics.

This document summary was generated by an artificial intelligence language model and was reviewed by a Wilson Center staff member.