CTBT Preparatory Commission rather than UNSC should deal with nuclear tests - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Sept 23 (Interfax) - Moscow is skeptical about a draft resolution of the UN Security Council supporting the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), Russian Foreign Ministry Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department Director Mikhail Ulyanov said.
"We were highly skeptical about this resolution drafted and submitted by the American partners," Ulyanov said at a press conference on Friday.
Nuclear test issues should be addressed by the UN CTBT Preparatory Commission, rather than the UN Security Council, he said.
"It was rather strange that the UN Security Council barged into an alien jurisdiction without any need whatsoever, and some of its members even tried to impose new obligations, in addition to those prescribed by the treaty, on participating states," Ulyanov said.
It is odd that the initiative is coming from the United States, which has yet to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, he said.
In the words of Ulyanov, this kind of resolution can pass on two conditions.
"It must not impose any new obligations on bona fide members of the treaty. Secondly, no decisions can be made without the knowledge of treaty member states," Ulyanov said.