Addressing the first meeting of 12 initial member countries of a
new anti-nuclear terror initiative, Zhang Yan, director-general of
arms control department at the Foreign Ministry, on Monday in Rabat
called for effective measures to prevent and combat nuclear
terrorism, which he said has become an urgent task for the
international community.
Zhang said China has consistently opposed any kind of terrorism,
and fully supported international efforts against it.
China, the US, Russia and nine other countries held their first
meeting in Rabat to begin implementing the Global Initiative to
Combat Nuclear Terrorism.
The initiative was announced by US President George W. Bush and
his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in July, at the G8 summit.
It aims to provide guidelines for keeping track of nuclear
substances, ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities, and
combating trafficking that could deliver nuclear materials into the
hands of terrorists.
While reiterating China's full support to the principles and
aims of the initiative, Zhang stressed that all related exercises
should be conducted under the basis of voluntary participation and
in accordance with international laws. Sticking to this is
beneficial to the effective implementation of the initiative, he
added.
Zhang also called for more caution while taking economic and
financial measures, in case such measures could harm normal
financial activities.
Zhang said China welcomed the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) to join the initiative as an observer. The organization
could offer powerful technical support for the implementation of
the initiative with its rich experience and advanced technologies
about the security of nuclear facilities.
The host Morocco joined the 12 original members on Monday in the
first expansion of the initiative's membership. It was initially an
observer. Other participating countries included Britain, France,
Italy, Japan, Canada, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Australia and
Germany.
(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2006)
