WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – President Barack Obama recognized Friday the importance of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on its 40th Anniversary.

“Forty years ago today, in the midst of a Cold War, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entered into force, becoming the cornerstone of the world’s efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons,” Obama said in a statement.

“Today, the threat of global nuclear war has passed, but the danger of nuclear proliferation endures, making the basic bargain of the NPT more important than ever: nations with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament, nations without nuclear weapons will forsake them, and all nations have an “inalienable right” to peaceful nuclear energy,” he added.

President Obama continued to emphasize the importance of disarmament, nonproliferation and peaceful uses as the three pillars outlined in Prague for stopping the spread of nuclear weapons.

“On this 40th anniversary, the United States reaffirms our resolve to strengthen the nonproliferation regime to meet the challenges of the 21st century as we pursue our ultimate vision of a world without nuclear weapons,” President Obama concluded.