William Hague has warned the West it risks losing the "moral argument" over nuclear weapons if it fails to share the peaceful benefits of nuclear technology.
In a keynote speech on Monday, the shadow foreign secretary intervened in the debate over nuclear proliferation.
With continuing fears over the Iranian and North Korean programmes, he gave his backing to arrangements that would allow both countries to continue with civilian power programmes.
William Hague has warned the West it risks losing the "moral argument" over nuclear weapons if it fails to share the peaceful benefits of nuclear technology.
In a keynote speech on Monday, the shadow foreign secretary intervened in the debate over nuclear proliferation.
With continuing fears over the Iranian and North Korean programmes, he gave his backing to arrangements that would allow both countries to continue with civilian power programmes.
That should form part of an international deal to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, Hague argued.
In a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, he said many countries had "legitimate aspirations" for economic and technological progress.
"Our countries are perceived to be willing to undercut fundamental universal principles of the non-proliferation treaty in an ad hoc fashion, according to their interests, while at the same time denying other states access to the benefits of the nuclear age," Hague said.
"This practice could lose us the moral argument. The major nuclear powers must therefore demonstrate that they are committed to sharing the benefits of peaceful applications of nuclear technology.
"We must demonstrate our long-term commitment to the universal principles of the non-proliferation treaty and champion the debate now."
