International Day for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

2023-09-25 16:57:04

Foreign Minister Schallenberg: “We must break the vicious circle of the nuclear arms race”

Vienna (OTS) – On the occasion of the International Day for the Complete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26th, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg urgently warns of their devastating explosive potential. He once once more calls for increased international efforts towards nuclear disarmament. A world free of nuclear weapons is a central concern of Austria’s foreign and security policy, especially in the multilateral area.

“The nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime is under enormous pressure. “We find ourselves in a seemingly hopeless dilemma: standstill on disarmament, backtracking on non-proliferation,” said Foreign Minister Schallenberg, concerned.

In addition to Russia’s irresponsible nuclear saber rattling, particularly the stationing of nuclear warheads in Belarus, Iran’s nuclear research, North Korea’s missile program and the qualitative and quantitative armament of all nuclear-armed states reflect a worrying global trend. In addition, there is an alarming standstill and backtracking on commitments made in various international forums.

“The nuclear risks are greater than ever. We have to break this vicious circle. We are most likely to achieve this goal with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which Austria helped initiate,” emphasizes Foreign Minister Schallenberg.

A fundamental ban on these weapons is the order of the day. The latest scientific research shows with frightening clarity that the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons would be much more serious than previously feared.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came into force in January 2021, therefore creates – analogous to other weapons of mass destruction – a ban under international law on the possession, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons for the first time.

Together with other states, Austria played a leading role in the negotiations on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which 93 states have now signed and 69 states have joined.

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