Among those attending the event, which began on Monday, are former Israeli security minister Shlomo Ben Ami; Mofaz Difari of the Israeli Nuclear Power Authority; and Ali Sultania, Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

According to sources close to the meetings, Ami voiced criticism of his country's policy of "strategic ambiguity" in regards to its nuclear arsenal, while Sultania reiterated Tehran's official position calling for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Former Australian FM Gareth Evans, also in attendance, said that nuclear weapons should only be stockpiled for reasons of "deterrence." He went on to point out that the U.S. and Russia possess 95 percent of the roughly 3000 nuclear warheads currently in existence worldwide.

According to Evans, the Cairo meetings will play a pivotal role in the preparation of an ICNND report to be issued early next year. He explained that Israeli scientists had been invited to attend the conference in order to hold "rational talks" with all parties concerned.

Evans went on to criticize the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which he described as "non-binding."

Former Egyptian ambassador to Washington Nabil Fahmi, for his part, voiced disapproval of Israel's longstanding refusal to sign on to the NPT.

EGYPT NEWS

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