Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
GENEVA (AP) — The U.N.'s high representative for disarmament affairs is praising North Korea's decision to suspend its nuclear and ballistic missile tests and dismantle its nuclear sites as "welcome developments."
Undersecretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu said she hoped the moves would "contribute to building trust" and support dialogue.
Overall, however, she warned that "the threat of the use, intentional or otherwise, of nuclear weapons is growing."
She decried a "hiatus" in negotiations on arms control and disarmament, and expressed concerns that unless the trend is reversed, the world could return to a situation in which there are "no verified constraints on nuclear arsenals."
Nakamitsu spoke Monday at the kick-off of a two-week preparatory conference for the 50-year anniversary of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, which has aimed to limit the spread of nuclear weapons, in 2020.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.