NEW YORK – The only way to prevent misuse and eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to completely and completely destroy them. Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi emphasized this when attending a High Level Plenary Meeting commemorating the International Day for the Total Destruction of Nuclear Weapons at UN Headquarters in New York (26/09).
At this meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered the ASEAN Joint Statement and the Indonesian government’s national statement. “ASEAN remains committed to encouraging global efforts for weapons disarmament and non-proliferation.
“However, ASEAN is worried that countries’ commitment to fulfilling their obligations will diminish,” said Retno on behalf of ASEAN.
Therefore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs called on countries to comply with and fulfill their obligations to various international agreements, including: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
The NPT is the ‘cornerstone’ or main reference for countries in global efforts for nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Therefore, strong political will is needed to maintain the integrity and implement this Treaty effectively.
“ASEAN calls on countries possessing nuclear weapons to fulfill their commitments and obligations as mandated by the NPT,” said Retno.
During this meeting, Foreign Minister Retno also conveyed ASEAN’s position which strongly rejects nuclear tests, as stated in the Nuclear Weapons Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Source: International Sindonews