MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/. Russia does not consider it possible for itself to join any anti-Korean statements or documents, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement explaining the reasons for Moscow's refusal to participate in the 14th Conference on facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

"The text of the final document of the 14th Conference does not reflect our approaches. We cannot accept the accusations contained in this declaration against our ally, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Moscow once assisted Pyongyang in repelling aggression from the united West, and now our allies have made an invaluable contribution to defending the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. In this regard, we do not consider it possible to join any anti-Korean statements or documents. Moreover, we note that such politically motivated attacks do not correspond to the goals and objectives of the conference," the ministry said.

The main reason for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty’s failure to enter into force is "the US’ obstructionist stance toward the treaty," according to the statement. "Successive American administrations have made no effort to ratify the Treaty for nearly thirty years. In this situation, we consider it absolutely unacceptable to blame the DPRK for the Treaty's failure to become a truly effective international legal mechanism. This country's position is driven by the unprecedented pressure being exerted on it by the United States and its allies. All this made it impossible for us to approve the final declaration of the 14th Conference on facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and deprived our participation in this event even as an observer of any meaning," the ministry stressed.

Moscow remains committed to the Treaty's values, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted. "A clear example of this is the completion on December 14, 2023, of the construction of the Russian segment (the second largest in the world) of the International Monitoring System, a key component of the Treaty’s verification mechanism. Russia intends to continue to facilitate the Treaty's entry into force. Whether we can achieve this goal, however, does not depend on us," the statement reads.

On September 26, the 14th Conference on facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. The Conference is convened every two years in accordance with Article 14 of the Treaty until it enters into force, and decides by consensus on the measures that can and should be taken to quickly fulfill the conditions necessary for the full functioning of the Treaty.