Dozens of world leaders will meet in Washington for a conference on nuclear security, where US President Barack Obama hopes they can reach an agreement on preventing terrorists from obtaining atomic bombs. While the focus of the meeting is not on individual nations, discussions on Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs are expected to arise during bilateral meetings and speeches. Chinese President Hu Jintao's attendance at the summit is seen as a win for Obama, signaling Beijing's commitment to maintaining strong Sino-US relations despite tensions on other issues. A draft communique circulating among attendees includes a US proposal to secure all vulnerable nuclear material within four years, with the final text likely to be revised before the conclusion of the meeting on April 13th. Analysts and diplomats from the Western countries believe that the summit meeting in Washington is extremely significant, being one of the largest since World War Two. According to Ian Kearns from the British American Security Information Council, nuclear security is often viewed as a technical issue only concerning those worried about nuclear terrorism. However, if leaders at the summit handle it correctly, they could improve nuclear safety for combating climate change, reinforce non-proliferation efforts, and enhance international trust in nuclear disarmament. The meeting will be attended by leaders such as China's Hu, Russia's Medvedev, France's Sarkozy, and Germany's Merkel. India and Pakistan, both non-signatories of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with their own nuclear weapons, will also be present, along with Israel, which is not part of the NPT but is believed to possess atomic arms. Iran and North Korea have not been invited to the meeting, while Pakistan has been included because it has shown commitment to improving its internal safeguards. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a disgraced Pakistani scientist, was involved in providing atomic technology to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. Both Iran and North Korea are under UN sanctions for their nuclear activities. Joe Cirincione, a professor at Georgetown University, believes that the plan to secure nuclear materials globally within four years could greatly enhance global security. He stated that if they carry out this plan, it could effectively prevent nuclear terrorism by preventing radicals from obtaining the one component of the bomb they are unable to create themselves. Cirincione expressed his desire to see if the final statement is more than a brief press release, if the action plan includes specific goals and deadlines, if major nations commit to securing their weapons material within four years, and if the countries agree to reconvene in two years to evaluate progress. The summit aims to bring together a diverse group of countries with nuclear programs to collect dangerous atomic material from vulnerable nuclear, defense, and medical facilities worldwide, a task that Russia and the United States have been working on with the assistance of the UN atomic watchdog for a long time. If successful, the summit could demonstrate to the world that the international community is united in enhancing nuclear security and that Washington is playing a leading role. The White House recently introduced a new policy that limits US use of nuclear weapons, while also cautioning Iran and North Korea that they could still be potential targets. The Nuclear Posture Review, a change from the previous US administration, stated that Washington will not create any new nuclear weapons. Analysts believe that this, along with the commitment from Obama and Medvedev to reduce nuclear arsenals, and a successful nuclear summit, could pave the way for a successful NPT meeting in New York next month to update the 40-year-old arms pact. The NPT has faced challenges such as North Korea's withdrawal, Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology for potential weapons, and developing nations accusing major nuclear powers of not fulfilling disarmament promises. Potential UN sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program will be discussed at a meeting in New York involving envoys from the US, UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia. UN diplomats are prepared to discuss Iran at the summit if Obama desires.