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Japans calls on nuclear-weapon states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals

04 May 2010 23:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Japan Tuesday strongly called on nuclear-weapon states to eliminate their possession of nuclear arsenals and to engage in bilateral negotiations on disarmament, APA reports quoting news.xinhuanet.com website.

"Japan calls on the nuclear-weapon states to reaffirm an unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals," said Japanese state secretary for foreign affairs, Tetsuro Fukuyama, on the second day of the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.

Also calling on nuclear-weapon states to pursue negotiations in addition to making an early commitment to reducing nuclear arsenals, Fukuyama noted the principles of transparency to nuclear disarmament measures.

Meanwhile, Fukuyama welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Monday announcement to make public the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. stockpile, as well as the number of nuclear weapons dismantled since 1991.

The Japanese state secretary also voiced his concerns with activities by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran.

"The series of activities by the DPRK including nuclear tests is a grave threat to the international non-proliferation regime and is absolutely unacceptable," he said, calling on the region to take concrete actions in abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.

Citing deep concern over Iran, Fukuyama urged Iran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to adhere to UN Security Council resolutions.

"It is also imperative that we continue to call on the countries that have not yet done so to accede to the NPT as non- nuclear weapon states and universalize the Treaty," he said.