Australia, Japan host international talks on nuclear nonproliferation

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
More than a dozen nations opened talks Monday on ways to strengthen the international agreement on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans and former Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi co-chaired the first meetings of the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation, which also includes former senior diplomats from Russia, France, Pakistan, the United States, China and six other countries. The commission was announced by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on a visit to Japan in June. He said at the time its purpose would be to restore and strengthen fragmenting support for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which dates back to 1968 but has not been signed by nuclear powers India, Pakistan or Israel. The group aims to influence a review of the treaty that is due in 2010.