Asean member states should remain united in the pursuit of a nuclear weapon-free zone in South-East Asia, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan at the South-East Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission meeting on Tuesday (July 8 ).
The world now faces new dimensions of nuclear war involving advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), cyber-warfare and quantum computing, he added.
He also said Timor-Leste’s accession to the South-East Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty by October will expand the geographical scope of a nuclear-free region.
00:0030 years ago, ASEAN member states united to draw a line in the sense that our region would never become a state for an nuclear conflict.
00:17The birth of our Southeast Asian nuclear weapon prison was a manifestation of the difficult lessons we learned during the Cold War.
00:25Demolches this accession to the Sean Press Treaty by the 47th Summit.
00:31We will further expand the geographical scope of the treaty and complement our broader regional security architecture in shaping strategic norms and expectations in our part of the world.
00:44Colleagues, we can take pride in the fact that our region has removed three nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
00:52While the protocol to the Sean Press Treaty has yet to be signed, ASEAN has made significant strides in advancing the peaceful uses of nuclear technology,
01:04particularly through ongoing cooperation with the IAEA in the fields of agriculture, medical diagnostics, food technologies, among others.
01:14This further reaffirms ASEAN's commitment to harnessing the peaceful civil application of nuclear science in accordance with the objectives of the Sean Press Treaty, in line with the non-proliferation situation.
01:28Yet as we celebrate these achievements, it is deeply concerning that Southeast Asia remains the only, I repeat, the only nuclear weapon prison that has not been formally recognized by the nuclear weapon states
01:45through the signing and rectification of the treaty's protocol.
01:51In this regard, we welcome the readiness by the nuclear weapon states to engage with ASEAN with a view towards the signing and rectification of the protocol.
02:01It is therefore incumbent upon ASEAN to respond constructively with urgency.
02:07We must work collectively to create the necessary conditions for the NWS to take this important step, including by resolving outstanding issues with the NWS in accordance with the principles and objectives of the treaty.
02:24We have a responsibility to ensure that the treaty remains not just a legal instrument, but a living dynamic commitment that contributes meaningfully to regional and global disarmament efforts.
02:41With existential threat to humanity that nuclear arms push, I call upon all ASEAN member states to remain united in our pursuit of a nuclear weapon-free Southeast Asia.
02:53I look forward to our declaration today and the valuable ideas you will bring to the table.
