Nuclear issue - Q&A (03 Aug. 2022)

Q : Fu Cong, Director-General of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Arms Control, said in an interview with TASS published on Tuesday that Great Britain and France should be included in the nuclear arms reduction process and should refrain from developing and expanding their nuclear capabilities. Russia had already made a similar proposal. Can you outline France’s current position on this issue and tell us whether Paris is prepared to engage in the process of nuclear disarmament and under what conditions?

A : As the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs stated, “We reaffirm the primary role of the Non-Proliferation Treaty as the cornerstone of the non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament regimes.” France is implementing all of its commitments in this regard.

As President Macron said in his speech to the War College (EG) on February 7, 2020, France has an exemplary track record in this area. We opted for the principle of strict sufficiency and possess fewer than 300 nuclear warheads. We maintain great transparency with regard to both our arsenal and our doctrine. And we have taken verifiable, irreversible measures on disarmament that are unmatched by other nuclear states. France continues to work toward complete and comprehensive disarmament.