According to a spokesman, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has praised the joint statement issued by the five nuclear-weapon states on the prevention of nuclear conflict and the avoidance of arms races.
The leaders of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States signed a joint declaration on Monday, saying that avoiding nuclear war and reducing strategic risks are their top priorities.
We believe that a nuclear war is impossible to win and should never be conducted. We further agree that nuclear weapons should serve defensive reasons, deter aggression, and prevent war for as long as they exist, because their deployment would have far-reaching effects.
The statement went on to say, “We are convinced that the spread of such weapons must be stopped.”
The Secretary-General appreciates the nuclear-weapon states’ recognition of the need to comply with their bilateral and multilateral non-proliferation, disarmament, and arms control agreements and commitments, including their binding obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons related to nuclear disarmament, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
He is encouraged by nuclear-weapon states’ resolve to seek steps to prevent nuclear conflict, which echoes his long-standing demand for dialogue and collaboration in this area. He’s eager to learn more about future projects.
The Secretary-General takes advantage of the opportunity to reiterate what he has said many times: the only way to eliminate all nuclear risks is to abolish all nuclear weapons. He expresses his willingness to work with nuclear-weapon states as well as all other Member States to achieve this aim as quickly as possible.
