Azernews.Az

The National Information Centre of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) will be completely updated, a source close to the project told Trend new agency on May 16.

The centre is based in the Institute of Geology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. According to the source, high-tech equipment worth a total of €1 million has already been purchased. It will be soon installed by CTBTO specialists.

The project provides for the creation of a completely new system in Azerbaijan in accordance with the requirements of the CTBTO. It will allow control of nuclear weapons by different methods such as geophysical surveys and the study of air flows. All the information is sent to the headquarters of the organization in Vienna. The results of analysis can help to distinguish a nuclear explosion from a natural phenomenon.

Recently, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev met Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO Preparatory Commission) Lassina Zerbo during his visit to Vienna.

Prior to the meeting, the Azerbaijani President viewed the International Data Centre of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission.

During the meeting, they discussed cooperation between the country and the organization.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is the main tool to stop testing nuclear weapons. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 10, 1996. To date, 183 countries have signed the treaty and 157 countries have ratified it. Azerbaijan signed the treaty in 1997 and ratified it in 1999.

Azerbaijan is the twenty-ninth signatory state and the third from the Eastern European region to have ratified the Treaty.