Viet Nam resolved to keep Southeast Asia free from nuclear weapons
VGP - Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son reiterated Viet Nam’s commitment and determination to effectively implement the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty).
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (C) addresses at the Meeting of the Commission of the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty), Jakarta, Indonesia, July 11, 2023 - Photo: VNA
Bui made that pledge while addressing the Meeting of the Commission of the SEANWFZ in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday.
Underscoring the significance of the SEANWFZ, the Vietnamese diplomat emphasized the need to increase the value and status of the Treaty amidst complicated and potentially risky situations.
Viet Nam pledges to work together with ASEAN to continue urging countries possessing nuclear weapons to join the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty, he added.
During the meeting, ASEAN Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the political will to urge nuclear weapon states to sign to the SEANWFZ Treaty Protocol.
They discussed the implementation of the Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the SEANWFZ Treaty, and agreed to assign a working group to discuss this issue further.
The meeting also successfully adopted a Concept Note on the Possible Joint Initiatives of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) and ASEAN in 2023.
In 1995, ASEAN countries inked the SEANWFZ treaty as a commitment to keep the region free from nuclear weapons.
The treaty includes a protocol, which is expected to provide for legally binding security assurances from the nuclear weapon states not to use or threaten to use their nuclear weapons against any state party to the treaty.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attends the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' interface with the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) representatives, Jakarta, Indonesia, July 11, 2023 - Photo: VNA
The same day, Bui attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' interface with the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) representatives.
The Vietnamese Foreign Minister spoke highly of efforts of the AICHR and outcomes of the realization of the Five-Year Work Plan 2021-2025.
He recommended the AICHR deploy cooperation activities with partners in a constructive spirit and goodwill, in accordance with principles, processes and procedures of ASEAN.
The meeting addressed the issue of trafficking in persons as well as the impact of climate change on human rights.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) meets Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Jakarta, Indonesia, July 11, 2023 - Photo: baoquocte.vn
Foreign minister Bui also met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on the sidelines of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-56) and related meetings in Jakarta.
Both sides vowed to enhance close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within ASEAN and Mekong sub-region cooperation mechanisms.
Bui asserted that Viet Nam is willing to support Laos to successfully undertake its role as ASEAN Chair in 2024./.
