UNITED NATIONS, April 28. /TASS/. Russia consistently observes all the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and plans to continue work in this direction, says an address of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the participants of the NPT Review Conference on Tuesday.
"Russia consistently complies with all the provisions of the NPT, including Article VI. We have reduced our nuclear arsenal to a minimum level which is a significant contribution to the overall and full disarmament," Putin said in the address which was distributed at the UN headquarters.
Russia plans to "continue work in this direction and also maintain the balance between the development of the ‘peaceful atom’ and strengthening the regime of non-proliferation, including the system of guarantees of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," the address reads.
Russia is committed to "close cooperation with all the interested parties on the creation of a modern, stable and safe architecture of cooperation in the sphere of nuclear energy," Putin said.
Under Article VI of the NPT, "Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament."
The Russian president said the balance of the key elements of the NPT - nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy - is the guarantee of the convention’s viability.
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"Exactly such an approach combined with determination for the universalization of the Treaty prevailed at the 2010 Conference and allowed to reach particular agreements that are up to date now," the text reads.
Putin reminded that the NPT Review Conference coincides with the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. "This is significant milestone that serves to remind us about our common responsibility for the well-being of the planet and the need to preserve peace and jointly fight against the modern threats, and one of them is the nuclear weapons proliferation," the president stressed.
"I expect that at the Conference the readiness of all the NPT states-parties will be confirmed to clearly comply with the commitments undertaken. No doubt, this will become an important factor of ensuring peace, security and stability on the whole planet," he said.
The 2015 NPT Review Conference is expected to consider a number of key issues, including: universality of the Treaty; nuclear disarmament, including specific practical measures; nuclear non-proliferation, including the promoting and strengthening of safeguards; measures to advance the peaceful use of nuclear energy, safety and security; regional disarmament and non-proliferation; implementation of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East; measures to address withdrawal from the Treaty; measures to further strengthen the review process; and ways to promote engagement with civil society in strengthening NPT norms and in promoting disarmament education.