GENEVA (Associated Press) – The U.N. Security Council’s five permanent members say North Korea and Iran pose “serious challenges” to the world’s most important pact on preventing the spread of nuclear arms.
A joint statement by Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States also calls for a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, where Iran enjoys close ties with Russia.
The statement Friday preceded two weeks of talks in Geneva over the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which has been signed by 190 nations. North Korea and Iran are not members.