The United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France commit to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons

The five member countries of the UN Security Council (The United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France) pledged on Monday to “prevent the proliferation” of nuclear weapons in a joint statement, ahead of a conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In full negotiations with Iran for their nuclear program, these five nuclear powers underscored their “Willingness to work with all States to establish a security environment that allows further progress in disarmament, with the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons”, explained the French presidency, which coordinated the work of those countries before the NPT conference.

The declaration comes before the 10th Conference of the Parties charged with reviewing the TNP, the international treaty that entered into force in 1970 to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to which 191 States are party. The conference will take place under the auspices of the UN.

“We affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” the five signatory countries of the Treaty pointed out.

“In view of the far-reaching consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, we also affirm that nuclear weapons, as long as they exist, should be used for defensive, deterrent and war prevention purposes.”they added.

“Each of us will maintain and further strengthen our national measures to prevent the unauthorized or unintended use of nuclear weapons,” the text continued.

The signatories are the five states legally recognized as “States with nuclear weapons” by the NPT. Three other countries considered possessors of the atomic bomb (India, Pakistan and Israel) did not sign the treaty. And North Korea has denounced it.

The West suspects that Iran seeks to develop, using the technology of its satellite launchers, long-range ballistic launchers capable of carrying conventional or nuclear payloads.

Negotiations resumed in December in Vienna to reactivate the 2015 agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, from which the United States withdrew in 2018.

_________________________________