UNITED NATIONS, August 6 /TASS/. The effectiveness of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is questionable, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva Andrey Belousov told reporters.

"Russia shares the noble goal of achieving a nuclear-free world and respects the position of the countries who call for a ban on nuclear weapons and their early elimination," the diplomat said in response to a TASS question related to the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

"At the same time, we consider the development and promotion of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to be a mistake. The treaty does not take into account the strategic situation and the security interests of the nuclear-weapon states, which leads to rising tensions within the international community and undermines the authority of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," Belousov emphasized.

"Moreover, since there are no nuclear-weapon states among TPNW members, the treaty will not lead to the elimination of a single nuclear weapon," the senior Russian diplomat noted. "That said, the treaty’s effectiveness in terms of nuclear disarmament looks questionable," Belousov added.

"It’s only possible to ensure real progress on the path to nuclear disarmament through calibrated step-by-step measures that would not undermine the principle of equal and indivisible security and efforts to maintain strategic balance," the diplomat emphasized.