WASHINGTON, D.C. - With the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) Review Conference only a week away the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill will travel to China today in a Hail Mary effort to entice North Korea back into talks on its nuclear programs. Representative Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and Energy and Commerce and Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation made the following statement:

“The Bush approach to North Korea has failed miserably and this Administration’s missteps with the North Koreans jeopardize the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT),” said Representative Ed Markey.

“Right now, we are shooting in the dark, hoping to get North Korea back into the six party talks. Even Bush’s own envoy to North Korea said today he does not know when North Korea will come back to the table. We need to take the threat of North Korean nuclear weapons seriously and we need to take action now. A failed approach to non-proliferation in North Korea could impact our efforts to address nonproliferation world wide.”

This Thursday, April 28, Representative Ed Markey and the House Bipartisan Task Force on Non- Proliferation will be hosting a panel of two renowned experts: Dr. Graham Allison, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Harvard University and Frank J. Gaffney Jr., President of The Center for Security Policy for a discussion on non-proliferation.

For more information on Rep. Markey’s discussion on the future of NPT check out: http://www.house.gov/markey/