The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), signed in 1996, prohibits all nuclear testing under any circumstances.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Mexican government applauds the decision of the Indonesian Parliament to approve the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), allowing Indonesia to ratify it.

"This is an important step towards the treaty`s entry into force and will contribute to a nuclear-weapon-free world," the Mexican foreign ministry said in a press release.

The Mexican government urged the countries that have not yet endorsed or adhered to the treaty to do so as soon as possible so that the CTBT can enter into force around the world.

Its entry into force would make it difficult to modernize the existing nuclear arsenals and to develop new weapons, thereby strengthening international security.

Mexico ratified the CTBT on October 5, 1999 and has five monitoring stations that are part of the surveillance system: three auxiliary seismic stations (Yucatan, Oaxaca and Baja California), a hydroacoustic station (Colima) and a radionuclide station (Baja California Sur).

Mexico co-chaired with Sweden the 7th Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, also known as the Article XIV Conference in New York, on the sidelines of the 66th United Nations General Assembly last September.

Mexico reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating nuclear weapons and strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime, in the belief that both are necessary and complementary actions to address international security concerns, the statement said.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), signed in 1996, prohibits all nuclear testing under any circumstances.

The treaty has been ratified by 155 countries but has not yet entered into force, since it requires the ratification of all of the 44 Annex II countries, those with nuclear technology capabilities.

Indonesia is one of the Annex II nations. The eight countries whose ratification is required for entry into force are: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Democratic People`s Republic of Korea and the USA. Indonesia`s ratification will be officially recognized when the ratification instrument is presented to the United Nations.

Indonesia signed the CTBT on September 24, 1996 and its ratification will help encourage other countries to do the same as soon as possible. It will also strengthen the treaty`s international monitoring system, as there are six seismic stations in Indonesia.

The treaty provides for a system capable of detecting nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, either in the atmosphere, underwater or underground, and is made up of 321 stations for seismic, hydroacoustic and infrasound monitoring, and 16 radionuclide laboratories.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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