By Xinhua,
Vienna : Iraq has signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), said the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)on Wednesday.
Iraq’s signature on Tuesday was an important milestone for the treaty, as it was one of the few remaining larger countries worldwide which have yet to sign the CTBT, the Vienna-based CTBTO said at a press release.
Tibor Toth, executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO, said Iraq’s signing of the Treaty was a “strong political signal for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.”
“It will encourage other countries of the region and beyond to follow suit,” he said.
So far a total of 179 states have signed the CTBT, which bans all nuclear explosions. A verification regime is being built to monitor compliance with the treaty. The 337 facilities under the International Monitoring System (IMS) are monitoring any sign of a nuclear explosion.