In the Stockholm Initiative for Nuclear Disarmament, 16 countries called on the world's nuclear powers to take concrete steps towards the full elimination of the most dangerous weapons on earth.

During the Initiative's fourth ministerial meeting since its inception in 2019, the representatives welcomed the latest announcement regarding new talks on arms control between the United States and Russia.

The member states of the Stockholm Initiative for Nuclear Disarmament urged all nine states that possess nuclear weapons to "promote disarmament by adopting significant measures," to meet their obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

On his part, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas said during the meeting in Madrid that "a path back on track to nuclear disarmament is possible. But above all, it is also urgently needed."

Following the meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Maas said, "now is the right moment to propose very concrete measures."

The White House announced in April that President Biden and President Putin discussed, during a phone call before their meeting, "several regional and global issues, including the intent of the United States and Russia to pursue a strategic stability dialogue on a range of arms control and emerging security issues, building on the extension of the New START Treaty."

Concurrently, Maas defended Germany's participation in NATO's nuclear deterrence policy, under which non-nuclear countries like Germany host US weapons.

Besides, the 16 countries in the Stockholm Initiative do not possess nuclear weapons themselves.

In addition to Germany, the group also includes Argentina, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.