VIENNA — Austria’s Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has called for nuclear disarmament, marking the 71st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In his statement, Kurz said that the threat of nuclear weapons is yet to become an issue of the past, and remains one of the greatest existential threats to humanity, describing the belief that "security can be ensured through nuclear weapons and the mutual threat of destruction" as a "dangerous illusion". Highlighting the futility and dangers of nuclear deterrence, Alexander Schallenberg, Austria"s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, "We must take preventive measures to eliminate this existential risk." Austria is continuing its efforts to promote the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force on Jan. 21, 2021. The first meeting of the parties will take place in Vienna in 2022, and will be chaired by Austria in recognition of its key role in bringing the treaty to life. — WAM