Vienna, Aug 21 (Xinhua) Iraq has signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the treaty’s preparatory commission said.Iraq’s joining the CTBT Tuesday is an important milestone as it was one of the few remaining larger countries worldwide which have yet to sign the treaty, the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said Wednesday.

Tibor Toth, executive secretary of the CTBTO, said Iraq’s signing of the treaty is a “strong political signal for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.”

“It will encourage other countries of the region and beyond to follow suit,” he said.

So far, 179 states have signed the treaty, which bans all nuclear detonations.

A verification regime is being set up to monitor compliance with the treaty. The 337 facilities under the International Monitoring System (IMS) look for any sign of a nuclear explosion.