MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. A Russia-coordinated working meeting of the "Big Five" nuclear powers was held in Saudi Arabia on February 29, the Russian foreign ministry said.

"As part of Russia’s commitments as a coordinator int the ‘Big Five’ of nuclear powers, a regular working meeting of the five countries possessing nuclear weapons was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 29 in accordance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (China, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France)," it said, giving out no further details.

The Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was signed in 1968 and came into force in 1970. It legalized the nuclear arsenals of the five its signatories, namely the United Kingdom, China, the former Soviet Union, the United States, and France, and their status of nuclear powers. These countries committed themselves not to transfer "nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices" and "not in any way to assist, encourage, or induce" a non-nuclear weapon state (NNWS) to acquire nuclear weapons. The treaty, however, infringe on their rights to carry out research, generate and use nuclear energy in peaceful purposes. In 1995, the treaty, which originally was signed for a term of 25 years, was extended indefinitely. Today, the treaty has 191 signatories. North Korea withdrew from in in 2003, while India, Pakistan, and Israel have never joined it.