TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi attended the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Commission (SEANWFZ Commission) meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The SEANWFZ Commission meeting is the first in a series of 57th Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Post Ministerial Conference (AMM-PMC).

Retno Marsudi invited ASEAN countries to continue boosting efforts for global disarmament and non-proliferation.

“Nuclear weapon threats are rising and they are real. The withdrawal of several key nuclear weapon-possessing countries from critical international agreements such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and the Strategic Arms Race Reduction Treaty, increasingly distances us from the ideal nuclear-weapon-free world,” she said.

Furthermore, Retno said the declining commitment from various countries would pose negative impacts on the region’s stability. Thus, Retrno Marsudi urges ASEAN to remain firm in their commitment to make the Southeast Asia Region a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister also underlined the importance of ASEAN urging nuclear weapons countries to commit to global disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.

"ASEAN needs to collaborate with other nuclear weapons-free areas," added Retno. Regarding this, Indonesia welcomed the training between ASEAN and OPANAL to discuss the issue of reservations in May 2024. OPANAL is an international organization for nuclear disarmament in most of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The SEANWFZ Commission meeting also welcomed Timor-Leste's plan for accession to the SEANWFZ Treaty expected to be completed this year, and welcomed various progress in implementing the SEANWFZ Treaty Action Plan for the 2023-2027 period.

KEMLU.GO.ID

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