MOSCOW. July 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia wants the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) to become universal, and it advocates a full-scale and effective application in the future.
"All countries - large and small, nuclear and non-nuclear - need this treaty. We are sure that the new challenges to the nuclear nonproliferation regime must be removed primarily on the basis of the NPT treaty. The treaty's full-scale and effective application must be guaranteed in the future," says a statement on the occasion of the 40th anniversary since the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was opened for signing posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website on Tuesday.
"We want the NPT to be universal and urge all countries to join it if they have not done so," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"In this context we think it very important to prepare and hold in 2010 a regular review conference on the NPT. The main purpose of this process is to come to a common understanding of the problems hampering the treaty's effective application, to forge a consensus on mechanisms for strengthening it, and to negotiate recommendations on ways to ensure its further application and the unconditional fulfillment of the commitment assumed under the treaty," it said.
July 1 marks 40 years since the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was opened for signing. The Treaty has been signed by 190 countries.