Indonesia's Foreign Minister: ASEAN is a Nuclear-Free Zone
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Editor
11 July 2023 13:05 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Minister of Indonesia Retno Marsudi highlighted the nuclear threat in ASEAN while inaugurating the series of ministerial ASEAN meetings in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
According to Minister Retno, the region shall be free from the strong and potentially destructive contraption. She said that the risk is currently higher than ever for nuclear weapon activities, including in Southeast Asia. "Maintaining peace and stability in the region is our utmost priority," Retno added.
Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty or better known as the 1995 Bangkok Treaty was signed by all ASEAN state members. However, some countries possessing nuclear weapons have expressed their reservations regarding several parts of the treaty protocol. The treaty provided that the state party to the treaty shall not "develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapons", "station of transport nuclear weapons", and "test or use nuclear weapons". After failed negotiations and being abandoned for a decade, the ASEAN Summit 2022 finally agreed that nuclear weapon states are invited to sign the treaty.
Previously, Indonesia has expressed its regret for the consequence of the multilateral security agreement between Australia, the UK, and the USA which allowed Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines to support their marine forces. Director General for ASEAN Cooperation Sidharto R. Suryodipuro stated in a press conference on Monday, July 10, 2023, that the issue will not be discussed specifically in the ministerial meeting
Sidharto explained that the Commission will focus on urging the five nuclear weapon states of China, Russia, France, the UK, and the US to ratify the 1995 Bangkok Treaty. So far, no countries possessing nuclear weapons have shown their good faith to ratify the treaty. ASEAN foreign ministers will meet with the nuclear weapon states, namely the USA, Russia, China, and the UK, at the East Asia summit and regional forums later this week.
DANIEL A. FAJRI
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