"To date, this is the only format within which the nuclear-weapon states discuss a set of issues directly related to the NPT. Various aspects of nuclear disarmament and strategic risks are touched upon to varying degrees. There has been a fairly frank discussion on nuclear doctrines until recently," Belousov told journalists, adding that "this format could become a prototype for a multilateral arms control and disarmament negotiations process in certain favorable circumstances."
It is important to intensify interactions between the Five Nuclear-Weapons States, he stressed, even though their official positions greatly differ from those shared by "anti-nuclear activists."
"The former note the importance of possession of nuclear weapons in protecting their national interests and ensuring national security, while proponents of early nuclear disarmament advocate for the comprehensive destruction of nuclear weapons, regarding them as a global threat," Belousov explained.
25 August 2022, 16:40 GMT
Nevertheless, he noted that everyone agrees that "the common goal of the NPT parties is to achieve a nuclear-free world."
The NPT is a treaty intended to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology and to promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It was opened to signature in 1968 and came into effect in 1970. To date, 191 countries have joined the treaty. In 1995, the treaty was extended indefinitely, with the parties gathering every five years to review its operation ever since.
The Tenth Review Conference (RevCon) of the Parties to the NPT is taking place in New York on August 1-26.