No. Date

AUSTRALIA COMMENDS U.S. NON-PROLIFERATION INITIATIVE

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Senator Gareth  Evans, today warmly welcomed the decision by President Bush  to discontinue production of plutonium and highly-enriched  uranium for nuclear explosive purposes.

"Ending the production of weapons grade nuclear material, as  part of a wider initiative to strengthen non-proliferation  efforts globally, is an historic step in preventing the  further proliferation of nuclear weapons", Senator Evans

said.  "Australia has long supported the principle of prohibiting  the production of nuclear explosive material, and has  supported efforts at the United Nations to pro~ote

an international convention to that end." ".,  '

"President Bush's statement is an important rea:ffirmation of  U.S. support for existing global non-proliferation regimes,"  he said. "Australia particularly welcomes U.S. s~pport for  the extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in

1995; for the conclusion this year of a Chemical Weapons  Convention; and for strengthening the International Atomic  Energy (IAEA) safeguards system, including through increases  in the Agency's safeguards budget."

"The U.S. initiative is also significant in foreshadowing  greater consultation with other countries, notably its  friends and allies and the states of the former Soviet  Union, on ways to implement effective controls to prevent  the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, biological and  missile-related materials and technologies."

"Australia has consistently advocated greater international  support for measures to strengthen and extend the various  non-proliferation regimes and has played a leading role in  multilateral efforts to deal with the problems of

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, especially  chemical weapons and related missile delivery systems."

"The US decision has helped improve the climate for change  in .al..l these crucial areas."

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