Britain proposes "global bargain" to curb nuclear proliferation

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed on Wednesday "a grand global bargain" between nuclear weapon and non nuclear weapons states, saying such an effort would help curb nuclear proliferation.

Brown made the announcement while addressing world leaders attending the general debate of the UN General Assembly.

He said that with increasing nuclear-armed powers, "the risk is not just state aggression, but the acquisition of nuclear weapons by terrorists."

"We are at a moment of danger when decades of preventing proliferation could be overturned by damaging rise in proliferation," he said.

"My proposal is a grand global bargain between nuclear weapon and non nuclear weapons states," he said.

Such a proposal will contain three elements, he said.

"First, let there by no ambiguity: Iran and North Korea must know that the world will be even tougher on proliferation and we are ready to consider further sanctions," Brown said.

"Britain will insist that the onus on non nuclear states is that in future it is for them to prove they are not developing nuclear weapons," he said.

Second, Britain will offer civil nuclear power to non nuclear states ready to renounce any plans for nuclear weapons, and third, all nuclear weapons states must play their part in reducing nuclear weapons as part of an agreement by non nuclear states to renounce them, he noted.

Brown added that in line with maintaining "nuclear deterrent," he has asked the national security committee to report on the potential future reduction of Britain's nuclear weapon submarines from four to three.