U.S., Britain, France, others skip nuclear weapons ban treaty talks

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks while French Deputy Ambassador to the U.N. Alexis Lamek and British Ambassador to the United Nations Matthew Rycroft listen outside the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York, U.S., March 27, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France are among almost 40 countries that will not join talks on a nuclear weapons ban treaty starting at the United Nations on Monday, said U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Haley told reporters the countries skipping the negotiations are instead committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which entered into force in 1970 and is aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology.