suspension

France

Nuclear testing

French President Francois Mitterand has said France will refrain from testing nuclear weapons as long as the United States and Russia do likewise. Mitterand was speaking at the start of a United Nations conference in Paris where more than 100 countries gathered to sign a treaty scrapping chemical weapons.

The French President said he noted with pleasure both Russia and the United States had decided on a breathing space before deciding what to do next about testing. He said France would be obliged to maintain adequate security if the other countries resumed testing but he said he ardently hoped this would not happen.

Last April the French government announced it would suspend nuclear testing in the South Pacific at least until the end of 1992. Russia had already made a similar announcement and the United States soon followed suit.

France also agreed to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty last year after many years of being reluctant to take this step. Mitterand said he hoped the treaty would be extended indefinately when it came up for re-evaluation in 1995.

On chemical weapons Mitterand stressed the importance of the UN treaty which he said was “the first real universal disarmament treaty” concluded after decades of negotiations.

France’s centre-right opposition, favourite to win a general election in March, has criticised the nuclear test freeze.