U.N. chief says troubled over arms talks impasse

By Laura MacInnis

GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed dismay on Wednesday over a long-standing impasse in international talks meant to stop the spread of dangerous weapons worldwide and in outer space.

In a speech to the Conference on Disarmament, a U.N.-sponsored forum, Ban offered his "full support" for the start of negotiations over a treaty banning production of fissile material used in nuclear bombs.

The 65 member-state Geneva body has failed for a decade to reach the consensus needed to launch full negotiations.

China and Russia are among those arguing that other issues should be discussed alongside the nuclear talks, including negotiations to prevent weapons being deployed in space.

The United States further opposes the notion of including a verification mechanism in any agreement on fissile material.

"I am deeply troubled by this impasse over priorities," Ban said, noting that a stalemate in disarmament was forestalling efforts to calm geo-political tensions worldwide.

"The United Nations must lead efforts to improve the global security climate. This is why your meetings at this 2008 session are so important," he told diplomats at the opening session.

The Conference on Disarmament is the world's main multilateral forum tackling disarmament issues, from the use of cluster bombs to weapons of mass destruction.

Its last success occurred more than a decade ago, with the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty prohibiting underground nuclear explosions.

Russian ambassador Valery Loshchinin told Wednesday's session his country was committed to "serious and far-reaching" discussions on all items of the disarmament body's agenda.

And Tunisia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the disarmament forum, said it was determined to revive the multilateral talks this year "based on the spirit of constructive dialogue and consensus."

Those comments follow blunt criticism issued from Canada's envoy to the forum last year, who said in a final speech that its "dysfunctional" voting system allowed a few states to hold the entire international effort hostage.