GENEVA ( WNAM MONITORING): Ambassador Mai Phan Dũng, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam in Geneva, affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent stance on supporting all efforts toward disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons while speaking at the high-level session of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) which was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 24-26.
Dũng said Việt Nam attaches importance to the CD, considering it the only multilateral forum with the top significant role in global disarmament.
He highlighted Việt Nam’s active engagement and contributions to the CD and related disarmament agreements, noting that Việt Nam has assumed the CD chairmanship three times and is a signatory to all the most important multilateral treaties on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including many agreements that are the result of negotiations approved by the CD, most recently the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
Addressing the common concerns shared by member states regarding the current state of global security and the challenges facing the CD, Dũng believed that more than ever, the CD needs to capitalise on the recent progress, such as the decision to establish working groups to discuss substantive issues.
Việt Nam calls on member states to uphold a sense of responsibility and political determination, enhance cooperation, engage in substantive and flexible dialogue, and promote inclusivity within the CD, he said, adding that by doing so, the CD can overcome its prolonged impasse and advance its multilateral disarmament agenda.
As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Việt Nam supports regional disarmament efforts and the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones worldwide, he said.
The ambassador added that in this spirit, Việt Nam underscores the importance of fully and effectively enforcing the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) and stays ready to work closely with nuclear-armed states to expedite their signing and accession to the treaty.
