Russia calls on nuclear five to back control over missile armaments - deputy minister

BEIJING, January 30. /TASS/. Russia suggests that participants of the Beijing conference of five nuclear powers (Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States and France) should send to the international community a clear signal in support of preserving the system of control over missile and nuclear armaments, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told the event on Wednesday. "The issue submitted by Russia for consideration at the conference on the role and place of the five states both in terms of deepening the Non-Proliferation Treaty and also in a broader prospect is becoming especially topical," Ryabkov said. "We believe that it is necessary to send on behalf of the five states a powerful and clear signal on our responsible and constructive attitude towards solving pressing problems in the sphere of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including keeping and improving the system of control over missile and nuclear armaments." The conference of the so-called nuclear five is held in Beijing on January 30-31 and focuses on preserving the regime of nuclear non-proliferation. The countries - Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and France - are represented at the level of deputies or aides to the top diplomats. Washington hosted the previous such meeting in 2016. The representatives of Russia and the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson, are expected to hold a bilateral meeting later to discuss the possibility of keeping the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Washington earlier announced plans to leave the treaty on February 2. Read more