Nuclear Security Summit participants renew pledge to strengthen nuclear security

Seoul, Mar.27 (ANI): Leaders attending the two-day second nuclear security summit in South Korean capital Seoul, on Tuesday renewed their political commitment to work toward strengthening nuclear security, reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism, and preventing terrorists, criminals, or other unauthorized actors from acquiring nuclear materials.

In a communique issued at the end of the summit, the participating leaders acknowledged that nuclear terrorism continues to be one of the most challenging threats to international security.

They said that defeating this threat required strong national measures and international cooperation "given its potential global political, economic, social, and psychological consequences."

The leaders also reaffirmed their shared goals of nuclear disarmament, nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

While restating their commitment to seek a safer world for all, they also said that they shared the objective of nuclear security.

"We recognize that the Nuclear Security Summit is a valuable process at the highest political level, supporting our joint call to secure all vulnerable nuclear material in four years. In this regard, we welcome the substantive progress being made on the political commitments of participating states since the Washington Summit," the communiqu? said.

"We stress the fundamental responsibility of states, consistent with their respective national and international obligations, to maintain effective security of all nuclear material, which includes nuclear materials used in nuclear weapons, and nuclear facilities under their control, and to prevent non-state actors from acquiring such materials and from obtaining information or technology required to use them for malicious purposes. We likewise recognize the fundamental responsibility of States to maintain effective security of other radioactive materials," the communique added.

We reaffirm that measures to strengthen nuclear security will not hamper the rights of states to develop and utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, it said. (ANI)