Japan unveils 11-point initiative to push global disarmament

TOKYO, April 27 Kyodo -
Japan unveiled an 11-point initiative Monday to achieve a nuclear-free world,
including a call for the imposition of ''effective global restrictions'' on
North Korea's ballistic missile development and a plan to hold an international
conference in Japan early next year on global nuclear disarmament.
In a speech titled ''Conditions towards Zero -- 11 Benchmarks for Global
Nuclear Disarmament,'' Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone urged China and other
nuclear powers to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons and to ensure
transparency regarding their arsenals, which he described as ''vital'' for
advancing global nuclear disarmament.
''Without transparency in its strategic direction, China is continuing to
modernize its nuclear arsenals and has undertaken no nuclear arms reduction
until today,'' Nakasone said. ''Nor does the country disclose any information
on nuclear arsenals.'' Nakasone made the pitch ahead of Prime Minister Taro
Aso's two-day visit to China from Wednesday.
The speech came amid a growing mood for nuclear disarmament around the world
after U.S. President Barack Obama laid out an ambitious vision April 5 for a
world without nuclear weapons, saying Washington has ''a moral responsibility
to act'' as the only country to have used a nuclear weapon.
Nakasone threw his strong support behind Obama's plan to host a global summit
within a year on preventing nuclear terrorism, while expressing Japan's
willingness to cooperate with Obama on the initiative.
Nakasone called for effective global measures to regulate ballistic missiles
that can carry nuclear weapons, saying North Korea's ballistic missile
development is ''a source of suspicions and tensions in regions around the
world, including Northeast Asia.''
The foreign minister also prodded Pyongyang to ''fully implement''
denuclearization steps as agreed and demanded in a six-party deal and U.N.
Security Council resolutions on the North.
North Korea threatened to withdraw from the six-party talks on denuclearizing
the country after the Security Council adopted a presidential statement
condemning the North's suspected launch of a long-range ballistic missile on
April 5.
''We strongly urge North Korea to take this message from the international
community seriously...and take concrete actions,'' Nakasone said. ''We also
call on all countries concerned to quickly implement measures included in these
resolutions.''
The denuclearization talks involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and
the United States have been stalled since December over ways to verify
Pyongyang's nuclear programs.
Similarly, Nakasone criticized Iran for continuing and expanding uranium
enrichment-related activity, saying the country fails to comply with a series
of Security Council resolutions on its nuclear program.
''Iran needs to regain the trust of the international community by complying
with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and cooperating with the
IAEA,'' he said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In the speech, Nakasone urged China and other nuclear powers such as the United
States, Russia, Britain and France to ensure transparency regarding their
arsenals and to freeze nuclear weapons development.
Nakasone proposed nuclear states adopt a ''culture of information disclosure''
regarding the number of their nuclear weapons and their military buildups
including stockpiles of nuclear fissile materials and delivery vehicles.
Nakasone welcomed the Obama administration's forward-looking stance toward
ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. He voiced his expectation that
Washington will ratify the CTBT before the 2010 Review Conference of the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The minister also urged India, Pakistan and Israel to join the NPT as
''nonnuclear powers.''
Nakasone promoted a Japan-proposed initiative on the use of civil nuclear
power, especially in other Asian economies, with the three principles of
ensuring nonproliferation, safety and nuclear security.
China, India and Russia are increasing the number of their nuclear power
plants, but there are concerns over potential accidents and diversion of
nuclear technologies to military use.
The nuclear power initiative featuring the ''3 S's'' of safeguards, or nuclear
nonproliferation, nuclear safety and nuclear security was approved by Group of
Eight leaders during their summit in Hokkaido last year. The G-8 groups
Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
==Kyodo