No.

M168

Date

11 November 1987 * 5

SPAIN'S ACCESSION TO THE NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY

The M in is ter for Foreign A f f a i r s ,  Mr Hayden M.P ., today

welcomed the accession of Spain to the Nuclear

N o n -P ro life ra tio n  Treaty (NPT).

Mr Hayden said that Spain's decision to jo in the Treaty was an

important step towards universal adherence to the NPT and

brought the number of NPT signatories to 137.

e l e c t r i c i t y  generation and is an active p a r t ic ip a n t  in the

In t e r n a t io n a l Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including as a

member of the Agency's Board of Governors. Spain is also a

member of EURATOM, with which A us tra lia has a b i l a t e r a l  nuclear

safeguards agreement.

Mr Hayden said the NPT is a binding in t e r n a t io n a l commitment

not to develop nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive

devices. I t  provides for inspection by the IAEA of a l l  nuclear

material in a l l  nuclear f a c i l i t i e s  within non-nuclear-weapon

signatory States. A us tra lia was a strong supporter of the NPT

which made a major co ntrib ution to in te r n a t io n a l peace and

se curity and set the standard of responsible in te r n a t io n a l

nuclear behaviour.

Mr Hayden commented that the NPT was generally recognised as

the single most e f f e c t i v e  and widely adhered to nuclear arms

control mechanism in force in the world today.

Spain operates eight c i v i l i a n  nuclear power plants for

