Paul Quilès - Mayor of Cordes-sur-Ciel, Member of Mayors for Peace

Between 1983 and 1993, Paul Quilès held several senior ministerial positions in France, including Minister of Defence (1985-86), where he oversaw the country's nuclear testing programme in the Pacific. As a Member of Parliament, he was chair of the Defence Commission until 2002. He is now the Mayor of Cordes-sur-Ciel, a small historic town in Midi-Pyrenees. Today, he campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons, is a signatory of the Global Zero initiative and a member of Mayors for Peace. Quilès's new book seeks to stimulate public debate in France on the question of nuclear disarmament. --- He spoke to CTBTO Faces on these and other issues while in Vienna to attend the May 2012 Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. ***Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO.