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Nuclear nonproliferation meeting opens in Sydney
AP, SYDNEY
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2008, Page 5
More than a dozen nations held talks yesterday on strengthening an international agreement on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
No breakthroughs were immediately announced after the first meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation, a joint Australia-Japan venture that brings together officials from the world’s major nuclear powers and other interested countries.
Former diplomats and senior officials from 15 countries taking part in the forum will hold a second day of talks today.
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.
TREATY REVIEW
The group aims to influence a review of the treaty that is due in 2010.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said his country hoped to raise the profile of the nonproliferation issue and eventually to help rid the world of nuclear weapons.
US-INDIA DEAL
Former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans and former Japanese foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi co-chaired the first meetings of the commission.
One topic of note for the commission is a US nuclear accord with India that will reverse three decades of US policy barring the sale of nuclear fuel to countries that have not signed the treaty.
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