Moscow stands for achieving the universal status of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CNBT), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with the secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CNBT, Lassina Zerbo, in Moscow on Thursday.
“We believe the CNBT is an important element of the international system of security and stability, in particular, its aspects regarding nuclear safety and non-proliferation,” Lavrov said. “We keep pressing for the early ratification of the treaty and lending it a comprehensive status”, Itar Tass reported on Thursday.
Zerbo thanked Lavrov for the efforts Russia was exerting to preserve peace and stability. He recalled that during his previous visit to Russia, the situation in Syria and the removal of chemical weapons were discussed. He urged close and joint work on the ratification of the CNBT.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty by which states agree to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 10, 1996, but it has not entered into force due to the non-ratification by eight countries.