ASEAN Reaffirms Commitment To Creating Nuclear Free Areas

LABUAN BAJO - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reaffirmed its commitment to creating Southeast Asia as a nuclear-free region.

This commitment was stated in a joint statement by ASEAN leaders on Wednesday after the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara on 10-11 May.

"We reiterated to preserve Southeast Asia as a nuclear-free region and other weapons of mass destruction as stated in the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) and the ASEAN Charter," the statement read.

The Southeast Asian Agreement as a Nuclear Free Zone or known as the Bangkok Agreement was signed in 1995 by all ASEAN member countries.

The agreement stipulates that the countries that sign the treaty cannot "develop, manufacture or acquire, own, or have control of nuclear weapons", "place or transport nuclear weapons in any way", or "test or use nuclear weapons."

ASEAN also reaffirmed its commitment to continue to involve countries with nuclear weapons ownership (NWS) to participate in signing the protocol.

Five countries are included in the list of countries with nuclear weapons, namely the United States, Russia, Britain, France, and China.

Member countries (ASEAN) have expressed their flexibility in exploring the possibility of allowing one NWS to sign the protocol in advance if there is an official guarantee in writing that they are willing to sign and ratify the SEANWFZ Agreement unconditionally," the statement read.

ASEAN is currently still in discussions with all nuclear weapons-owning countries about the possibility of signing and ratifying the unconditional SEANWFZ agreement protocol.