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ReutersVIENNA (Reuters) - A U.S.-Russian commitment to rid the world of nuclear weapons and pursue diplomacy on Iran and North Korea is a welcome boost for non-proliferation efforts, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said Thursday.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama pledged at a London summit Wednesday to seek a deal by July on cutting their nuclear arsenals, work for a nuclear-free world and coordinate policy on Iran and North Korea.
Nuclear diplomacy and arms control were given short shrift by Obama's predecessor George W. Bush and Iran, meanwhile, has expanded a secretive uranium enrichment campaign.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), had previously accused big powers of failing to meet obligations to disarm under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and spurring other countries to seek risky nuclear capability.
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