On September 22, Sao Tome and Principe joined the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), as a result of which the list of ratifiers expanded to 176 States.

This Central African Republic has already become the sixth country to take such a step in the year when the 25th anniversary of the CTBT is celebrated.

Russia fully supports the decision of the authorities of Sao Tome and Principe. We hope that it will help accelerate the efforts of the international community aimed at making the Treaty universal.

However, further coordinated steps will be needed to achieve this lofty goal. We call on the States whose full-scale accession directly affects the entry into force of the CTBT to show political will to solve this problem.