VIENNA (Sputnik) — Countries worldwide should dispose of their nuclear weapons as this would significantly contribute to the global nuclear security, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said on Monday.
"We know that most of the nuclear materials in the world are used for nuclear weapons. There are still 16,000 of nuclear warheads, allocated between 14 countries, and many of them are in the state of readiness and could be used on short notice. One thing is clear — nuclear weapons reduction will significantly enhance nuclear security," Kurz said at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Conference on Nuclear Security.
He added that nuclear weapons should be considered in the context of the potential danger they posed.
"While nuclear weapons exist, they may be used, and in this case everyone will lose. That's why Austria so strongly endorses nuclear disarmament, and therefore we have launched with our partners initiatives to abandon nuclear weapons," Kurz said.
IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security kicked off in Vienna earlier in the day to last through Friday.
In March 2017, the United Nations will hold a conference to negotiate a "legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination." The negotiations are set to continue through June and July.
