ASIATODAY.ID, LAOS – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi attended the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Commission Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, July 24 2024.
This meeting is the first meeting in the 57th series of Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.
During the meeting, Retno invited ASEAN countries to continue to increase efforts for global disarmament and non-proliferation.
“The threat of nuclear weapons is increasing and real. The withdrawal of several key countries possessing nuclear weapons from important international agreements such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treat, and the Strategic Arms Race Reduction Treaty, increasingly distances us from the ideals of have a world free from nuclear weapons,” said Retno.
Furthermore, he said that a real reduction in commitment from countries would have a negative impact on stability in the region. Therefore, Retno said, whatever the challenges, ASEAN countries must remain firm in their commitment to make the Southeast Asia Region a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone.
Minister Retno also underlined the importance of ASEAN urging nuclear weapons owners to carry out their commitment to global disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.
“ASEAN needs to collaborate with other nuclear weapons-free regions,” added Retno.
In this regard, Indonesia welcomes the training between ASEAN and OPANAL to discuss the issue of reservations in May 2024.
For your information, OPANAL is an international organization for nuclear disarmament in most of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Commission meeting welcomed Timor-Leste’s planned accession to the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Commission Treaty which is expected to be completed this year, and welcomed various progress in implementing the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty Action Plan Free Zone Commission for the period 2023-2027. (AT Network)
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