BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th January, 2022) Germany has praised the joint statement by the five nuclear-weapons states � Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and China � on the unacceptability of a nuclear war, the German Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The five countries reiterated that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be waged, as well as that nuclear weapons should serve defensive purposes. The sides also stated their belief that "further spread of such weapons must be prevented." According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the statement was prepared per Moscow's suggestions.
"The Federal Government of Germany welcomes yesterday's statement by the US, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. A nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought. This is an important statement from the five nuclear countries of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which the federal government eagerly supports," a government spokesperson said.
They added that the dialogue and cooperation between the five nuclear states is more important than ever to lower tensions and risks of escalation. At the same, Berlin called for concrete steps toward redding the world of nuclear weapons.
"The federal government will use the remaining time until the postponed NPT Review Conference in order to actively facilitate further (nuclear disarmament) process together," the spokesperson added.
During the Geneva meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, on June 16, the leaders adopted a joint statement, confirming Russia's and the US's adherence to the principle that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be attempted. The same principle was fixed by the heads of the USSR and the US at the meeting in Geneva in 1985.
The NPT is an international treaty that aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology and promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy by furthering the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. The 2022 NPT Review Conference is scheduled to meet from January 4-28.
