Foreign Minister Retno Urges State Owners Of Nuclear Weapons To Comply With Non-Proliferation Treatyes At Weapons Extension Conference

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi urged nuclear weapons-owning countries to comply with their obligations, including those regulated in Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while attending the High-Level Segment Conference on Dissarmement in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday.

In the only multilateral negotiation forum discussing efforts to eliminate weapons and its members are 65 countries, the top five permanent member states of the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Retno in a national statement stressed the importance of overcoming the deadlocks faced by the current Weapons Extension Conference.

Indonesia, continued Foreign Minister Retno, as President of Conference on Disarmement for this period is committed to encouraging transparency, balance and constructive dialogue.

On this occasion, Foreign Minister Retno conveyed three things related to the cessation of weapons. First, he said it was necessary to strengthen his commitment to global gun cuts.

"I convey that Indonesia has ratified the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Contract (TPNW) and is ready to encourage its universalization. Indonesia urges nuclear weapons owners to fulfill their obligations, including those regulated in Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," said Foreign Minister Retno in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tuesday, February 27.

"Indonesia together with ASEAN countries continue to push for the immediate signing of the SEANWFZ Protocol by permanent member states of the UN Security Council or P5," he continued.

Next, Foreign Minister Retno also called for a focus on things that unite in the expansion of weapons, not dividing things. According to him, countries must continue to encourage progress in the expansion of weapons, both in terms of procedural and substantive.

"The main focus should be on issues that reap agreements such as the Negative Security Assurances which are legally binding and the cut-off transaction of fissile materials," said Foreign Minister Retno.

Foreign Minister Retno also conveyed the need to overcome new security challenges. He said Conference on Disarmement must be adaptive and responsive to the ever-changing security landscape, including the emergence of new technologies in modern weapons and war systems, as well as realizing contracts to prevent the arms race in space.

Closing his statement, Foreign Minister Retno expressed criticism of Israel's discourse on using nuclear weapons to threaten Gazans.

"I also urge the cessation of arms shipments to Israel to prevent the increasing number of casualties. Finally, I would like to express regret regarding the absence of an agreement regarding the Palestinian app as an observer at Conference on Disarmement," he concluded.