Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia held a meeting with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) to discuss the progress on ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

According to a press release received by ANTARA from the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Jakarta on Wednesday, the meeting was conducted by Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and the executive secretary of CTBTO, Robert Floyd.

"This meeting is very important in the midst of a world situation that is increasingly filled with uncertainty where conflict and war can occur at any time," Marsudi said after the meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday.

She added that regarding the CTBT, the provisions state that the treaty will come into force if the countries in Annex II of the CTBT ratify it.

"Annex II countries means here are countries that took part in the CTBT negotiations in 1994 to 1996 at the Conference on Disarmament, which once had and still have nuclear weapons and/or large capacity nuclear reactors," she expounded.

Currently, the CTBT has been signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178 countries.

Ratification is still needed from eight Annex II countries — China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the United States — so that it can be implemented, which is usually termed entry into force, Marsudi said.

Indonesia is an Annex II country which ratified the treaty in 2011.

Marsudi said that her visit to the CTBTO was a form of Indonesia's commitment to multilateralism.

"Many people doubt multilateralism. For Indonesia, we actually ask: What would happen if there was no multilateralism? What will definitely happen is that 'the strong will control everything,'" she added.

Therefore, she considered it a shared responsibility to continue to strengthen multilateralism, including through the CTBT.

During the meeting with the CTBTO executive secretary, she discussed several things, including the progress of the ratification.

"We welcome the ratification of PNG (Papua New Guinea) on March 13 this year, and we agree to continue to push for ratification by the countries in Annex II," she said.

Next, Marsudi discussed the cooperation carried out by Indonesia.

"We have quite strong cooperation, Indonesia currently hosts six CTBTO seismic stations, that is in Jayapura, Sorong, Parapat, Kappang, Baumata, and Lembang," she said.

"These stations are very useful for the tsunami early warning system in Indonesia, and I convey that Indonesia is ready to carry out stronger cooperation with the CTBTO," she added.

She also expressed the hope that more Indonesian representatives will be considered to work at the CTBTO.

"I also hope that the internship program, both for students and young professionals at CTBTO, can receive support," she said.


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Translator: Katriana, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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