Britain ready to cut warheads if others do it too, says Brown

L'Aquila (Italy), July 10 (ANI): Britain is ready to cut its number of nuclear warheads in its Trident weapons system as part of a global deal, The Telegraph reports.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is reported to have said that US-brokered talks next year could pave the way for the UK to reduce its 160-warhead arsenal in return for proof from would-be nuclear states that they had stopped their weapons programmes.

Speaking at the G-8 summit here, Brown insisted there was no question of abandoning plans to replace the Trident weapons system.

"What we need is collective action by the nuclear weapons powers to say that we are prepared to reduce our nuclear weapons, but we need assurances also that other countries will not proliferate them," Brown was quoted, as saying.

US President Barack Obama has invited as many as 30 nations to nuclear talks in Washington next March.

The White House said the talks would focus on preventing the spread of nuclear material to rogue states and terrorist groups.

Brown said the meeting could also help draw up a replacement to the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The British Government has never specified what the new number will be, and precise figures have been kept confidential.

However, Britain's operational nuclear deterrent is routinely based on fewer than 50 warheads. (ANI)