WASHINGTON - The world's nuclear-armed states are not fulfilling their pledges to reduce their stocks of the deadly weapons and should practice what they preach, Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif said Wednesday.
"The people who are advising not to build nuclear weapons themselves have nuclear weapons, and have not fulfilled their promises in reducing their nuclear arms," Nazif told an audience at the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations here.
"It's very difficult to preach to somebody if you are not actually practising," the Egyptian premier said.
Asked if his remarks were directed at the United States' government, Nazif replied: "A global leader should set the example."
Nazif spoke shortly after meeting US President George W. Bush at the White House where Bush pressed Egypt to make sure its upcoming presidential election was free and fair, according to the White House.
Egypt has refused to take on additional obligations for international nuclear safeguards unless Israel joins the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The UN's nuclear watchdog said in February that Cairo had failed to report some sensitive nuclear activities, but that it was not a nuclear proliferation threat.
05/19/2005 00:10 GMT