An Algerian delegation is taking part in the Oslo meeting, because we believe that the first step that must be taken in nuclear disarmament is to delegitimize these weapons, so long as there are arguments that support the possession of these weapons on the pretext of self-defence or the defence of vital interests. We do not believe that we will achieve tangible progress in this area. In this connection, we consider the Oslo meeting to have a special symbolic significance; it is, perhaps for the first time in many years, the first occasion on which non-nuclear-weapon States, or States that theoretically are not supposed to possess nuclear weapons, have come together to express their views on nuclear disarmament. We hope that the international community will recognize the extreme importance of this meeting and of its outcome, as this is a matter that speaks to the credibility of the non-proliferation regime.