The German Government welcomes the statement issued yesterday by the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. This is an important affirmation by the five nuclear-weapon states of the Non Proliferation Treaty, and one which the German Government emphatically supports. Dialogue and cooperation among these five states are more important than ever today for reducing tensions and the risk of escalation. At the same time, we need concrete steps towards nuclear disarmament in order to move closer to the joint goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The German Government will use the time up until the postponed Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to cooperate resolutely for further progress.