ASEAN, US reiterate commitment to implement anti-nuke treaty

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte joins the leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and dialogue partners during the opening of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City on November 13, 2017. The dialogue partners include New Zealand, Timor-Leste, Republic of Korea, USA, Australia, India, China, and Japan. KARL NORMAN ALONZO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — The United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday have committed to the full implementation of a treaty against the proliferation of nuclear armaments, amid tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

In a joint statement, the two parties after its 40th commemorative summit in Pasay City agreed that they will join hand-in-hand to implement the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) “in all its aspects”.

The NPT is a landmark international treaty with goals to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. As per the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, this also aims to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to achieve nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.

The Treaty, which entered into force in 1970, represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by nuclear-weapon States.

A total of 191 states have joined the treaty, including the five nuclear-weapon states — US, Russian Federation, France, United Kingdom and China.

Aside from these, the US and the bloc also affirmed the commitment to execute relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions and relevant multilateral treaties to which the ASEAN member states and the United States are parties. (PNA)