Arms race and power projection must be stopped so as to not destroy the integrity and credibility of the non-proliferation treaty.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has called for upholding the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) amid the expectations of a nuclear-weapons-free world.

“Arms race and power projection must be stopped so as to not destroy the integrity and credibility of the non-proliferation treaty,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated during the High-level Plenary Meeting on the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons held annually in accordance with the mandate of the United Nations General Assembly.

To date, the world still has an estimated 13 thousand nuclear weapons that threaten global peace and security, Marsudi noted in a press statement released virtually on Wednesday.

The likelihood of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of non-state actors must be a strong reason for all countries to expedite nuclear disarmament, she affirmed.

"The world will never feel secure until all weapons are destroyed," she emphasized.

As the coordinator of the Non-Aligned Movement and the main supporter of the total elimination of nuclear weapons, Indonesia also highlighted the significance of strengthening the architecture of nuclear disarmament, she noted.

Enforcement of the nuclear weapons ban treaty this year served as a milestone that lays the legal framework to delegitimize nuclear weapons, she asserted.

"Destroying nuclear weapons is the only way to protect the inhabitants and future of the earth. And I stress that the world will receive no benefit from the nuclear weapons," she stated.

The efforts to push for nuclear disarmament were made long before the COVID-19 pandemic, she remarked.

"Indonesia opines that COVID-19 must not let the international community lose focus of this essential issue," she noted.

Related news: Nuclear weapons elimination ensures global peace, security: Minister
Related news: Indonesia backs universal adherence to NPT
Related news: Indonesia to raise inclusivity during its 2022 G20 presidency

Translator: Yashinta Difa P, Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021