August 25, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 22, 1429

TOKYO, Aug 24: Japan and Australia will jointly call on the United Nations to adopt a resolution urging all atomic states to cut their nuclear arms speedily, a newspaper reported here on Sunday.

The Japanese and Australian governments will submit the resolution to the United Nations when its General Assembly convenes in late September, the Nikkei business daily said, quoting government sources.

The two countries will soon begin negotiations on the specific wording of the resolution, expecting the proposal to be approved as early as December, the newspaper said. The resolution is largely aimed at urging China to take disarmament measures as the other four nuclear powers — the United States, Britain, France and Russia — have already taken voluntary disarmament steps in some form, it said.

Japan also hopes to use the proposal to ratchet up pressure on North Korea and Iran to abolish their nuclear weapons programmes, the Nikkei said.—AFP