Nuclear states crafting conference statement

Carol Giacomo and Lou Charbonneau, Reuters:

The United States and four other nuclear weapons states are making progress on a joint statement that includes language on Iran and North Korea, accused by Washington and others of pursuing illegal atomic arms programs, U.S. and European diplomats said on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, one U.S. official told Reuters it is increasingly apparent that a United Nations-sponsored nuclear review conference now in its last days almost certainly will not agree on a broader consensus final statement. READ MORE

The conference, which ends on Friday, is aimed at strengthening the 1970 Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty, cornerstone of international arms control.

But it has bogged down in wrangling over the agenda and then allocation of work among committees. While the disputes played out behind the scenes, nuclear activists and diplomats blamed the delays squarely on Iran and the United States.

The United States, as sole superpower, had been criticized for not playing a greater leadership role, including promoting a joint position among the five nuclear weapons states or "P5" -- the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.

But a senior U.S. official told Reuters: "The P5 is getting close (to agreeing on a joint statement)."

He said the statement dealt with a range of issues, including compliance with NPT obligations, disarmament and some of President George W. Bush's non-poliferation initiatives, like the Proliferation Security Initiative.

IRAN CITED

"There is language on Iran and North Korea ... It's not bad," the official added.

Other U.S. officials said the statement may be made public on Wednesday.

A European diplomat said he understood there "were some movements" in the nuclear state discussions but then talks hit a snag. Delegations were consulting their leaders in capitals on next steps, the diplomat said.

Officials and experts have been pessimistic from the start that the review conference would produce meaningful results.

"It's almost certain that there will be no final consensus document" among the more than 180 nations at the conference, a U.S. official said on Tuesday. "I think everyone understands that. It's not clear what the final product will be."

At the conference on Tuesday, U.S. and NATO nuclear policies were condemned as immoral, dangerous and destructive of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime by former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. ...