ABSTRACT
Poland attaches particular importance to the idea of nuclear weapon-free zones. It was the Polish initiative of 1957—63 on the establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in central Europe that gave a strong impulse to international efforts designed to promote a kind of arms limitation. The philosophy behind previous Polish initiatives for the establishment of a denuclearized zone in central Europe went beyond peace and security in central Europe, which in itself is of crucial import for regional and global peace. Due to the geographic vicinity and more penetrable air defences in the North, cruise missiles might be more effective when launched from the area of the northern seas than from positions in central Europe. Poland nurtures the hope that an nuclear weapon-free zone in the North would exert a salutary influence on the political and military scene in central Europe.
