France, the United Kingdom, and the United States recognize the legitimate interest of NPT States Parties to receive security guarantees. Such assurances to NPT States Parties against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (negative security assurances) and the provision of assistance to states that have fallen victim to or are threatened by aggression involving nuclear weapons (positive security assurances) emphasize adherence to the NPT and its full the security benefits of compliance and the goal of non-proliferation, while furthering the nuclear disarmament goals of the NPT. In light of Russia’s repeated and flagrant disregard for its international commitments and obligations, including those under the UN Charter and the Budapest Memorandum, we reaffirm our NPT security guarantees, both positive and negative.
In this regard, we reaffirm our existing national security assurances regarding the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons against the NNWS Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We affirm that by ratifying the relevant protocols to treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones, we have undertaken legally binding obligations to respect the status of such zones and not to use or threaten nuclear weapons against States parties to such treaties.
We further recall that we ratified or supported the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Treaty on the Nuclear-Free Zone in the South Pacific, the Treaty on the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Africa and the ratification of relevant protocols to the Treaty. in a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia. We further indicate our willingness to engage with the parties to the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty to sign an amended protocol without delay.
Our Governments further affirm our national positive security guarantees as referred to in UN Security Council Resolutions 255 (1968) and 984 (1995). We recognize the need to provide or support immediate assistance to any NNWS Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that is subject to threat of aggression or aggression related to the use of nuclear weapons. We remind you that UN Security Council Resolution 984 also called on UN member states to take appropriate measures in response to a request for technical, medical, scientific or humanitarian assistance from a state party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that has fallen victim to aggression. nuclear weapons. Appropriate forms of assistance may include radiation emergency response, detection and assessment, and environmental mitigation, which may be made available by UN Member States or relevant international organizations.
We are committed to continuing to work on such appropriate measures to ensure the security of the NNWS Parties to the NPT in accordance with their relevant non-proliferation obligations. We do this in light of our NPT obligations and our continuing commitment to the assurances we have given.
