Russia will not join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, News.Az reports citing TASS. 

She made this comment following the completion of the first conference of states-participants of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

According to her, assertive advancement of the treaty deepens disunity between states and undermines the regime of Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

"In connection with the desire to put on a permanent basis the efforts to universalize the TPNW, as recorded in the final documents of the conference, we emphasize: Russia does not intend to join this agreement and believes that the treaty does not establish any universal standards: neither now nor in the future," she said.

According to Zakharova, Moscow continues to firmly adhere to the position that the development of the TPNW was premature, erroneous and, in fact, counterproductive. This agreement does nothing to reduce the growing nuclear risks and does not bring humanity one step closer to the goal stated in it, and the approach laid down in the TPNW only leads to an increase in contradictions between nuclear and non-nuclear states, she stressed.

News.Az