WASHINGTON- President Barack Obama said on Friday a forthcoming review of the U.S. nuclear posture would reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons in Washington's national security strategy.

In addition, we will seek to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and negotiate a treaty to end the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons, Obama said in a statement marking the 40th anniversary of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

A 1999 vote on U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty fell 19 votes short of the 67 needed for approval by the Senate, which at the time was controlled by Republicans. Ratification now is expected to be similarly difficult under a Democratic majority.

Our forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review will move beyond outdated Cold War thinking and reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, even as we maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent, Obama said in the statement.

Obama will host a summit on April 12-13 bringing together representatives from as many as 43 countries to help secure the world's loose nuclear material.

He called last year in Prague for a world without nuclear weapons and has made nonproliferation a priority.

(Reporting by Ross Colvin; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Barack obama Nuclear weapons