(95.06.01)黒河内大使ＣＤ（ＮＰＴ）

　 At the outset, I should like to express my delegation's appreciation for your devoted efforts toward good and effective management of the Conference amply demonstrated during the previous Plenary meetings. I am confident that under your able guidance the Conference will be able to work productively and I assure you of the full cooperation of my delegation to that end.

　 Japan is satisfied that there existed the general will in support of the stabilization and strengthening of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. As was stated by Mr. Yohei Kono, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, immediately after their adoption, Japan welcomes wholeheartedly the decisions taken without a vote at the NPT Conference ; namely, a decision to extend the Treaty indefinitely, as well as decisions on the "strengthening the review process for the Treaty" and on the "Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament". Minister Kono, who had attended the Conference, had reemphasized Japan's position to seek the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons, based on Japan's experience as a country that suffered the consequences of nuclear bombs, and at the same time, from the stand of clearly renouncing possession of nuclear weapons, had expressed Japan's support for the indefinite extension of the NPT, which played an important role in nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Furthermore, he had expressed his hope that as many States Parties as possible share this basic view of Japan, which, it may be argued, turned out to be true.

　 The document "Principle and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament" lists in paragraph 4 as the important measures in the full realization and effective implementation of Art. VI of the Treaty, (a) the completion by the Conference on Disarmament of the CTBT negotiations no later than 1996, (b) the immediate commencement and early conclusion of negotiations on a fissile material Cut-Off Convention and (c) the determined pursuit by the nuclear-weapon States of systematic and progressive efforts to reduce nuclear weapons globally, with the ultimate goal of eliminating those weapons.

　 With respect to reductions of nuclear weapons, Japan sincerely hopes that all nuclear weapon States will take upon themselves to pursue, with determination, systematic efforts to reduce nuclear weapons, with the ultimate goal of their elimination, in response to the trust placed in them by non-nuclear weapon States.

　 As for the Cut-Off negotiations, my delegation fully agrees that the negotiations should be commenced immediately here in the CD and efforts should be made for an early conclusion of the negotiations. In this connection, Japan supports Ambassador Shannon of Canada for the Chairmanship of the Ad Hoc Committee on this subject.

　 As is envisaged in the "Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament", we, the CD collectively, should spare no efforts to have the CTBT negotiations concluded by the end of next year. The work on a CTBT in this second part has already been started. Japan, for its part, is ready to make all possible efforts to that end.

　 It is extremely regrettable that the People's Republic of China conducted another nuclear test on 15 May, in addition to those in June and October last year, immediately after the NPT Conference had decided to extend the Treaty indefinitely and to strengthen the NPT regime, thereby giving a new hope to the international community on steady promotion of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Japan once again strongly urges China not to repeat nuclear testing and also appeals to other nuclear-weapon States to continue to refrain from conducting nuclear tests.