World commits to secure all nuclear weapons by 2014

Calcutta News.Net
Tuesday 13th April, 2010

The two-day Nuclear Security Summit has ended in Washington, with leaders from 47 nations signing a non-binding communique.

The leaders have agreed to collective global action to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials.

The joint communique adopted at the end of the summit said all fissile materials, such as highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium should be secured within four years.

The communique reaffirmed the fundamental responsibility of states to combat nuclear terrorism, saying it remained one of the most challenging threats to international security.

The joint document put the onus on contributing nations to prevent terrorists obtaining information and technology required to use nuclear materials for making bombs.

During the conference, US President Barack Obama urged all countries, including Israel, to sign the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Israel which is believed to possess 300 nuclear warheads did not sign the communique after Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, cancelled plans to attend.

President Obama said strong nuclear security measures were still the most effective means to prevent terrorists, criminals or other unauthorised actors from acquiring nuclear materials.

The binding pledges adopted at the summit included the setting up of national legislative and regulatory frameworks for nuclear security, concrete measures to secure the safety of highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium, and expanding the capacity for atomic security.

While the focus of the summit was on nuclear terrorism, behind the scenes President Obama and administration officials were holding private talks with individual world leaders to shore up support for new sanctions against Iran.

Asked about his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao and the prospect of China supporting a resolution for new sanctions, Obama said China was a part of ongoing discussions. "I think these negotiations can be difficult and I am going to push as hard as I can to make sure that we get strong sanctions that have consequences for Iran as it is making calculations about its nuclear program and that those are done on a timely basis," he told reporters.

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