    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [July 1, 2008]
    [Pages 968-969]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
    July 1, 2008

        Forty years ago today, the United States joined 61 other nations in
    signing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
    Today, almost all nations are party to the treaty. The NPT represents a
    key legal barrier to nuclear weapons proliferation and makes a critical
    contribution to international security. I reaffirm the strong support of
    the United States for the treaty and our commitment to work diligently
    to strengthen it further.
        NPT parties must take strong action to confront noncompliance with
    the treaty in order to preserve and strengthen its nonproliferation
    undertakings. We cannot allow nations to violate their commitments and
    undermine the NPT's fundamental role in advancing international
    security. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through its
    safeguards system, plays a vital role in supporting the treaty by
    uncovering and reporting violations of nuclear safeguards. The United
    States is committed to ensuring the IAEA has the tools and access it
    needs to do its work, especially in support of universal adherence to
    the Additional Protocol.
        The United States remains firmly committed to continued compliance
    with our own obligations under the NPT. Our record demonstrates this
    commitment, including to the disarmament goals expressed in the preamble
    and Article VI of the treaty. Because of the nuclear reductions I have
    directed and the Moscow Treaty I signed with Russia, the U.S. nuclear
    weapon stockpile already has been reduced by half since I entered office
    and is at its smallest size since the 1950s.
        The United States supports the global expansion of peaceful nuclear
    energy as a means of meeting growing energy demand and utilizing this
    zero-emission source of energy to help meet the challenge of climate
    change. This expansion of nuclear energy must be safe, secure, and not
    contribute to nuclear proliferation.
        It is essential in these times of great challenges to the security
    of the international community, particularly when terrorists and state
    sponsors of terrorism seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction, that
    NPT parties work together to confront the dangers of nuclear
    proliferation. I call upon all parties to act promptly and effectively
    to meet these challenges and ensure that the treaty remains an effective
    instrument of global security.

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