MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/. NATO countries have been putting pressure on Russia and China as they push for dominance in the field of nuclear weapons, a senior Russian diplomat told TASS in an interview.

"They (NATO countries - TASS) are trying to exert pressure on Russia and China with a view to securing the dominance of NATO countries and their allies in all types of weapons, including nukes," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

Commenting on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on the 55th anniversary of its signing, Ryabkov said the West has often used it for discrimination against non-nuclear states "who seek to be able to implement the right to use nuclear energy and atomic technology for peaceful purposes as guaranteed by its provisions."

The senior Russian diplomat also noted the emergence of biased accusations against parties to the treaty as he said "far-fetched `country-specific’ dossiers have been discussed at NPT and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency - TASS) events for years." He referred to the actions of Western countries against Syria and Iran. "This whole situation, dictated by such infringement of rights and unequal access to the benefits of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, has hardened the positions of non-nuclear countries," he lamented.

Tactical nukes

Russia maintains superiority in tactical nuclear weapons as a countermeasure aimed at counterbalancing NATO’s supremacy in other aspects of its military potential, Ryabkov said.

Commenting on a remark by Russian President Vladimir Putin who warned in a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) last month that Moscow will categorically refuse to discuss reducing its nuclear arsenal with the West, Ryabkov said, "Our, as the Russian President put it, `competitive advantage’ in this domain is a countermeasure aimed at counterbalancing NATO’s superiority in some other aspects of their aggregate military potential."

When asked about how this Russian position correlates with Article 6 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which obliges parties to negotiate measures to stop the nuclear arms race and efforts toward nuclear disarmament, Ryabkov highlighted the integrity of all elements of the article. These elements must be seen "in conjunction [with the entire article], without singling out individual aspects," he said.

"According to it, progress in nuclear disarmament is directly linked with progress in universal and complete disarmament," the senior Russian diplomat emphasized.