Foreign Minister Retno Invites ASEAN To Increase Global Efforts To Remove Weapons

Foreign Minister Retno while attending the SEANWFZ Commission meeting on AMM 57th. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Achmad Kautsar Prasetio)

JAKARTA - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi invites ASEAN countries to continue to increase efforts to reduce weapons and global non-proliferation.

This was stated by Foreign Minister Retno while attending the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Commission (SEANWFZ Commission) meeting in Vientiane, Laos (24/7), the first meeting of the 57th series of Foreign Ministers Meetings (AMM/PMC).

"The threat of nuclear weapons is increasing and real," said Foreign Minister Retno in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as quoted Wednesday, July 23.

"The release of several key nuclear weapons owners from international important agreements such as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Anti-Ballistic Missile Treatment, and Strategic Arms Race Reduction Treaty, further distances us from the aspiration to have a world free from nuclear weapons," said Foreign Minister Retno.

Furthermore, he conveyed that the decline in commitment from countries would actually have a negative impact on stability in the region. Therefore, Foreign Minister Retno said, whatever the challenge, ASEAN countries must stick to their commitment to make Southeast Asia a Nuclear Weapons-Free Area.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister also underlined the importance of ASEAN urging nuclear weapons owners to carry out their commitment to efforts to eliminate weapons and global non-proliferation.

"ASEAN needs to collaborate with other nuclear weapons-free areas", said Foreign Minister Retno.

"In this regard, Indonesia welcomes the training between ASEAN and OPANAL to discuss the issue of reservation in May 2024," said Foreign Minister Retno.

It is known, OPANAL is an international organization for nuclear weapons cuts in most Latin America and the Caribbean,

The SEANWFZ Commission meeting welcomes Timor-Leste's planned accession into the SEANWFZ Contract which is expected to be completed this year, and welcomes various progress from the implementation of the SEANWFZ Contract Action Plan for the period 2023-2027.