On February 10, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan who is in Austria on a working visit, met with Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). 

The interlocutors touched upon the activities of the Organization, the challenges it faces and the steps by the international community to address them. In this context, the sides highlighted steps towards using the potential of Science, specifically Innovation and Information Technologies through increasing involvement of field experts.  

Minister Mnatsaknayan reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to the goals of disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and noted that Armenia, having ratified the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in 2006, has always been in favour of ratification of the Treaty by all states. 

In the context of discussion of expanding prospects of cooperation recorded in the work with organization, Minister Mnatsakanyan and Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo highly appreciated active involvement of the Armenian experts in the work of Organization’s  Preparatory Committee.

The two sides highlighted strengthening of nuclear security at the national and international levels through ratification and implementation of international legal documents as well as through adoption of national legislation.

In this regard, the Foreign Minister of Armenia highly appreciated function of the CTBTO’s “Garni” Seismic Station in Armenia, as well as the technical assistance provided to Armenia's Seismic Protection Agency aimed at increasing capability of the National Data Center.