U.S. Holds Meeting on Nuclear Weapons with Four Countries

The U.S. State Department stated that "this month it held a meeting of experts from China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom to discuss nuclear weapons issues, including reducing strategic risks." In a statement yesterday, Friday, it noted that "Washington hosted the meeting on June 13 and 14 among the five nuclear-armed countries," describing it as "a continued exchange under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons." The department added: "The experts belong to the foreign and defense ministries of the participating countries," and noted that they "discussed reducing strategic risks, as well as nuclear treaties and policies." White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby clarified that "the discussions are part of a regular and ongoing dialogue." The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which came into effect in 1970, aims to limit the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons and ensure the rights of members to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.