The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasized the need for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to enter into force and called on all states to ratify the treaty, the UN Spokesperon Farhan Haq said on Friday.
"All I can say about that is the Secretary General has consistently stressed the need for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty," Haq told a briefing. "He strongly urges all states that have not ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to do so without reservations or conditions, especially those whose ratification is required for the treaty's entry into force."
In the meantime, the UN Chief urges all nuclear weapon states to public really reaffirm their moratoriums against nuclear testing and their commitment to the CTBT, he added.
During the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow could mirror Washington's stance, withdrawing the ratification of the treaty from the lower house of the parliament.
Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Friday that the lower house will consider withdrawing the ratification of the document at its earliest session as a mirror response to the United States.