Jakarta (ANTARA) - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized that nuclear weapons must be eliminated completely to prevent their misuse and erase the threat posed by them.
She made the statement while representing Indonesia and ASEAN at the "High-Level Plenary Meeting to Commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons" at the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States, on Tuesday (September 26).
"ASEAN remains committed to global disarmament and non-proliferation objectives and reiterates its concern over the declining commitment of countries in fulfilling their obligations," Marsudi said, according to a statement released by the ministry here on Wednesday.
She then called on countries to comply with and fulfill their obligations to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
According to Marsudi, the NPT is the main reference for countries for nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and peaceful use of nuclear energy.
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She added that strong political will is needed to maintain integrity and implement the treaties effectively.
"ASEAN calls on countries, especially nuclear weapons states to fully implement their obligations and commitment, including the NPT," she said.
In addition, she stressed ASEAN's position that strongly rejects nuclear tests, as stated in the CTBT, and highlighted the importance of implementing the TPNW thoroughly.
"ASEAN remains committed to preserving the Southeast Asian region as a nuclear-free zone and all weapons of mass destruction," she said.
In Indonesia's national statement, she said that there is a need to create global peace and a world free of nuclear weapons.
She affirmed that Indonesia supports the UN's New Agenda for Peace and pushed for collaboration in the use of nuclear technology for peaceful means, such as for industry, agriculture, and health.
Indonesia ratified and became a state party to the NPT in 1978 and CTBT in 2012. Currently, it is completing the TPNW ratification process.
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