The 187 nations meeting at the United Nations on reviewing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) adopted an agenda on Wednesday which enabled them to go on with their work.

The agreement came after over a week of wrangling when Egypt insisted that the past disarmament commitment should be honored, and the issue of nuclear weapons in the Middle East should be on the agenda.

Conference president Sergio Duarte of Brazil said in a statement, after a comprise was worked out, that "it is understood that the review will be conducted in the light of the decisions and the resolutions of previous conferences and allow for discussion of any issue raised by states parties."

Meanwhile, Duarte pointed out that the issue of the Middle East, which had been discussed in previous conferences, would also be taken into account.

The landmark conference, which opened on May 2 and will conclude on May 27, will examine the implementation of the NPT's provisions since 2000.

Among the issues which are expected to be considered at great length at the conference in view of recent developments are universality of the NPT, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, safeguards, verification and compliance, nuclear-weapon-free zones, security assurances, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and withdrawal from the NPT.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2005)