Obama Says All Countries Should Sign NPT, Nuclear Security Summit Makes World More Secure

Obama says nuclear security summit makes world more secure

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2010 (Xinhua) --

U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday the two-day nuclear security summit made the world more secure, as participating countries came not only to make pledges of future action, but also to take meaningful steps that can be implemented right now.

In a press conference after the summit, Obama said "real progress" has been achieved by the adoption of a communique vowing commitment to secure vulnerable nuclear materials in four years, a goal he outlined in a speech in Prague one year ago, and a work plan outlining specific steps to that effect.

"We made real progress in building a safer world" Obama said.

As to specific ways to achieve that goal, Obama said all participating nations reaffirmed that it is the fundamental responsibility of nations to "maintain effective security of the nuclear materials and facilities under our control."

He said the threat of nuclear terrorism cannot be addressed by countries working in isolation, and existing institutions and mechanisms needed to be strengthened, and that include the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency and others.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Obama says all countries should sign NPT

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2010 (Xinhua)--

U.S. President Barack Obama said here Tuesday that all countries should sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), including Israel.

Obama made the remarks at a press conference at the Washington Convention Center shortly after the Nuclear Security Summit ended.

"What I'm going to point to is the fact that consistently we have urged all countries to become members of the NPT. So there's no contradiction there," Obama said in response to a question concerning Israel's nuclear program.

"I do think that as part of the NPT, our obligation, as the largest nuclear power in the world, is to take steps to reducing our nuclear stockpile. And that's what the START treaty was about, sending a message that we are going to meet our obligations," Obama said.

"I think that it is important that we have an international and universal approach ... that those of us making serious efforts to reduce those stockpile," he told reporters.

He said that most countries don't currently have nuclear weapons and make the decision not to pursue nuclear weapons, adding that all countries have access to peaceful nuclear energy.

"So whether we're talking about Israel or any other country, we think that becoming part of the NPT is important," he said, adding that this has been a consistent position of the United States government, "even prior to my administration."

The two-day Nuclear Security Summit, which was aimed at locking down nuclear materials, ended with a communique and a work plan urging concrete actions and measures.

Leaders from 47 countries, including the hosting United States, the United Nations, the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency, gathered in Washington for the two-day meeting to discuss ways to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists and "non-state actors."

Editor: Xiong Tong

World leaders propose concrete measures to secure nuclear material

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2010 (Xinhua) --

World leaders or international organization representatives attending the Washington Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) on Tuesday proposed in a work plan a series of detailed measures designed to secure nuclear material in response to the growing threats of nuclear terrorism.

The seven-page work plan, released at the end of the two-day summit, recognized states' rights to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and noted the responsibility of each state for the use and management of all nuclear materials and facilities under its jurisdiction.

The plan said highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium are particularly sensitive and require special precautions, including the consolidation of national sites where nuclear material is held and the exercise of particular care in ensuring the safe and secure transport of nuclear materials, both in domestic and international transport.

The plan urged every participating state to be mindful of its responsibility to maintain effective nuclear security and a robust domestic regulatory capacity, including the establishment, review, adjustment and enforcement of related regulations as well as personnel training.

The plan also emphasized the importance of the human dimension of nuclear security, the need to enhance security culture, and the need to maintain a well-trained cadre of technical experts.

The work plan underscored the value of exchanging accurate and verified information, without prejudice to confidentiality provisions, to detect, prevent, suppress, investigate and prosecute acts or attempted acts of illicit nuclear trafficking and nuclear terrorism.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

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