UN Secretary General António Guterres has called for the total elimination of nuclear weapons in the world. The risks of their use have reached the level seen during the Cold War. The head of the UN said this in his speech at the opening of the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

"Reducing risks is not enough. Eliminating nuclear weapons is the only guarantee that they will not be used. We must work tirelessly toward this goal," Guterres stressed.

At the same time, the UN secretary general noted that the nuclear danger is now comparable to that seen during the Cold War.

"Humanity is in danger of forgetting the lessons learned from the strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Geopolitical tensions have reached new heights," Guterres added.