Japan blames Russia for not having joint declaration at end of nuclear nonproliferation conference

TOKYO

Japan’s prime minister said Saturday that Russia should take the blame for not having a joint declaration at the end of a nuclear nonproliferation conference.

Fumio Kishida expressed disappointment after a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference ended without the joint declaration.

“It is extremely regrettable that no consensus was reached due to opposition by one country: Russia,” Kishida told reporters.

Kishida said maintaining and strengthening the NPT is “the only realistic approach” to nuclear disarmament.

Moscow, which had continued its war in Ukraine, opposed a final draft of the consensus document at the end of the nearly monthlong NPT review conference in New York, with references to the Russian-seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine as a point of contention.

Kishida became the first Japanese leader to attend the NPT review conference earlier this month where he deliver a speech.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.