Minister Grabar-Kitarović held a speech at the CTBT Conference

The Treaty is the foundation of the international regime of banning nuclear tests for the purposes of arms production, limiting the stockpiling of nuclear weapons, supporting the international system of building confidence and security measures, intensifying international co-operation in nuclear security, and international exchange of knowledge and technology.

The Treaty still has not come into effect, as 11 countries (pursuant to Annex II) with nuclear facilities on their territory have not ratified it yet – China, Columbia, Democratic Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, the US, and Vietnam. Some of them have not even signed it yet (India, Pakistan, North Korea), while the US, which are one of the initiators of the Treaty, have signed it, but not ratified it.

Minister Grabar-Kitarović advocated that CTBT be implemented as soon as possible and called on the countries which have not ratified it to do so. She said that efforts need to be redoubled to persuade these countries to ratify it “without delay and unconditionally”.

Minister Grabar-Kitarović called for a more intensive engagement in preventing and eliminating the illegal trade of WMAs and related technology, saying that the universal adherence to the international conventions is a key to achieving that goal. Croatia has ratified the CTBT and is advocating its coming into effect as soon as possible.