New York (UN). August 6. INTERFAX-The decision of Russia and the United States to extend the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (STCW) is a welcome step, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes.
"I am deeply concerned about the lack of progress towards achieving the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. The nuclear-weapon States have been modernizing their arsenals in recent years, which is causing a new arms race. But the decisions of the Russian Federation and the United States to extend the operation of the START Treaty and participate in the arms control dialogue are welcome first steps towards reducing the risk of a nuclear catastrophe," Guterres said in a video message on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
He called on all nuclear-weapon States to take measures to reduce the danger.
"The only guarantee against the use of nuclear weapons is their complete elimination. The United Nations and I personally remain fully committed to the goal of creating a world free of nuclear weapons," the UN Secretary General said.
