ASEAN conducts technical review relating to SEANWFZ protocol
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin said the measure reflects ASEAN’s continued efforts to strengthen global commitment to the principle of nuclear non-proliferation and to make Southeast Asia a fully nuclear weapon-free zone.
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is currently conducting a tech🌞nical review of the participation of major powers in the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), including the possibility of their placing ‘reservations’ ꦅon their commitments to the treaty.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin said the measure reflects ASEAN’s continued efforts to strengthen global commitment to the principle of nuclear non-proliferation and to make Southeast Asia a fully nuclear weapon-free zone.
This matter is being reviewed by the SEANWFZ Commission through discussions held at the senior official and executive committee levels, he said at a media briefing on July 6.
The SEANWFZ Treaty, or the Bangkok Treaty, was signed in December 1995 in Bangkok by the 10 ASEAN member countries and took effect in March 1997.
U෴nder the protocol, every nuclear weapon state (NWS) must adhere to the SEANWFZ Treaty, not contribute to any act that constitutes a violation of the treaty or its protocol, not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any state party to the treaty, and additionally, not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons within the zone./.
The police has taken appropriate measures to ensure high preparedness ahead of this meeting, and the main focus is on the security of VIPs, traffic control and handling emergencies, he said, adding the team will use sophisticated technologies such as facial recognition systems and explosives detection to ensure the event runs smoothly.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi called for the upcoming ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy to prioritise real-time collaboration among member states in areas such as incident response, digital forensics, secure data sharing, and policy harmonisation.
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