Japan unveiled a fresh initiative Monday to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation and urged other Asian nations to strengthen their export controls to prevent such countries as North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear-related materials.
"It is becoming more important for Asian countries to strengthen export control systems amid growing risks that countries with insufficient export controls may be used by North Korea and Iran as a 'loophole' to procure nuclear-related materials," Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said in a speech in Nagasaki.
Kishida announced that Japan will extend $455,000 to the preparatory commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty to support its activities, including upgrades to a system that detects nuclear tests.