Page 11 from FCO 66844 Nuclear Suppliers Group Policy 1976

This is a restricted document from the British Embassy in Moscow, addressed to Mr. M.J. Wilmshurst. The document summarizes a TASS report on a meeting of the "London Club" of nuclear suppliers. Representatives from the USSR, GDR, US, UK, France, FRG, Canada, Japan, Italy, Sweden, and the Netherlands attended the meeting to discuss the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the threat to the environment from inadequate control of nuclear waste. The report highlights concerns over recent nuclear deals, such as the Brazil-FRG and France-South Africa deals, as well as Brazil's refusal to sign the NPT and the agreement on banning nuclear weapons in Latin America. Efforts to limit nuclear proliferation are seen as conflicting with opponents of détente and supporters of the arms race. The document notes that this is the first explicit reference to the Nuclear Suppliers Club in the Soviet press, although the topic has been indirectly touched upon before. The report concludes by highlighting the dangers of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of unstable or dictatorial leaders and criticizing those who ignore these risks. Copies of the document were sent to J.E. Holmes, Washington, and Vienna (for UKRep).