ASEAN hails entry into force of treaty on nuke-free zone in Central Asia

来源:百度文库 编辑:神马文学网 时间:2024/04/28 00:38:36
English.news.cn   2010-05-05 04:17:07FeedbackPrintRSS
UNITED NATIONS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tuesday welcomed the entry into force of the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty and supported the establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
The statement came as Pham Binh Minh, the first deputy foreign minister of Vietnam, was speaking on behalf of the ASEAN member states at the conference to review the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which entered its second here Tuesday.
The ASEAN groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and my own country Vietnam.
"ASEAN believes that Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones constitute an important measure to strengthen nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament," he said. "In this regard, we welcome the entry into force of the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty on March 21, 2009 which we believe helps further strengthen regional and global peace and security."
The former Soviet republics in Central Asia -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- created the nuclear weapon-free zone with a pledge to make their collective territories free of nuclear weapons.
"We also express support for the establishment of a Middle East Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in accordance with relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions," he said.
Editor: yan