Moscow calls on the international community to ratify the conventions against nuclear terrorism, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote in an article, published by the Washington Times on Friday.
The article titled “Seoul Summit: A view from Moscow” comes three days before the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in South Korea’s Seoul which will be attended by more than 53 world’s leaders and international organizations’ heads.
Lavrov said that all the countries should ratify the UN Conventions on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism to prevent nuclear weapons from “falling into the hands of non-state actors, including terrorists.”
The top Russian diplomat also said the United States is Russia’s main partner in terms of nuclear cooperation.
“We have put an end to the Cold War and the arms race, including the nuclear one. Today, our countries have taken a common stand for the strengthening of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and have intensified their cooperation in combating nuclear terrorism,” Lavrov said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is expected to meet with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on Monday on the sidelines of the Seoul nuclear summit.
The summit will be held amid the growing pressure on North Korea which has announced its plans to launch a long-range rocket carrying a satellite to mark the 100th anniversary of its late founding leader Kim Il-sung in April.
The United States and other countries suspect that the launch is a thinly veiled ballistic missile test.
The international community, including Russia and the United States has condemned the move. The Japanese Armed Forces have warned they could shoot down North Korean rocket.
