UN to kick off conference to review non-proliferation treaty (2)

The last NPT Review Conference in 2005 was largely considered a failure because members were unable to agree on all frontiers and became quagmires in lengthy quarrels about procedural issues.

"We all know that 2005 was an acknowledged failure," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a group of UN-based correspondents on Wednesday. "We should not unrealistically (have) raised expectations this time."

A total of 107 countries are inscribed to speak at the general debate of the Review Conference, which runs from Monday through Thursday, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be the second to speak on the first day of the general debate, according to a preliminary list of speakers. The first speaker will be the Indonesian foreign minister, who is to take the floor on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Iran can use the upcoming global gathering on disarmament to reassure other States of its peaceful nuclear intentions, Cabactulan told reporters here Thursday, saying that the meeting offers an opportunity to really explore the limits of what is possible on disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

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