Japanese and Australian politicians said Monday that a new nuclear body would meet for the first time in October and discuss a controversial India-US atomic energy pact.
Former Japanese and Australian foreign ministers Yoriko Kawaguchi and Gareth Evans are co-chairs of the new body, which Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd proposed earlier this year to bolster anti-nuclear efforts.
"It is extremely important for Japan, the only victim of nuclear attacks, to aim to build a world without nuclear weapons," Kawaguchi told a joint news conference with Evans after they met Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
The International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament will gather up to 16 members from around the world. It hopes to lay the groundwork for the next review conference of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2010.
Kawaguchi said the group would first meet in October, although she declined to name the exact date, location or the membership.
The commission will discuss "issues of what to do with countries that are developing nuclear programmes while violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty or who are not members of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty," she said.
She was referring to India, which is seeking international approval for a nuclear technology sharing deal with the United while refusing to sign the non-proliferation and test-ban treaties.
Evans said the India-US deal was "very controversial," having positive and negative aspects.
"We're all going to have to work harder if we really do want a global regime that is very strong, that picks up all the best of the NPT and makes it even stronger and applicable universally," Evans said.
Rudd has said Australia, which has the largest known uranium reserves, and Japan, a major nuclear energy power, could play a role in non-proliferation.
Both countries have signalled support for the India-US deal, despite earlier reservations.
