Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

HC Deb 24 January 1992 vol 202 cc384-5W

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the former states of the Soviet Union(a) have been recognised by Her Majesty's Government as independent nations and (b) have signed or acceded to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Mr. Hurd

(a) The Government have recognised Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgistan, Moldova, Tadikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan as independent sovereign states. We accept the Russian Federation as the continuing state of the Soviet Union.

(b) We regard Russia as a party to the nonproliferation treaty as continuing the statehood of the former Soviet Union. No other former republics have yet acceded to the NPT. We have urged them all to do so as soon as possible.