BRUSSELS, April 21. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Council reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its intention to remain a nuclear bloc in a statement released on the occasion of the 11th Review Conference of the NPT Treaty.

"As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance," the document said.

According to it, NATO "underlines its strong commitment to the full implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," which it calls "an essential cornerstone of the global non-proliferation and disarmament architecture."

The NATO statement also said that Russia allegedly violated a number of the treaty’s protocols, while China is covertly expanding its nuclear arsenal. Brussels also claimed that Russia and China have allegedly "increased ties with states that seek to proliferate nuclear weapons and undermine international arms control." These countries were not specified, but NATO usually refers to Iran and North Korea as such.