Việt Nam emphasises necessity to completely eliminate nuclear weapons

Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations, addressed the second meeting of state parties to the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). — VNA/VNS Photo

NEW YORK — The total elimination of nuclear weapons is the common interest of humankind and requires efforts and political determination of all countries, Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations, stressed at the second meeting of state parties to the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Addressing the meeting, which is taking place in New York from November 27 to December 1, Giang said international security is facing many serious challenges and expressed his concern over the level of destruction and humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.

The ambassador emphasised the need to enhance strategic trust, in which the key is to promote the compliance with basic principles of international law and the UN Charter, and strengthen international mechanisms on disarmament and counter-proliferation.

To effectively implement the TPNW, he called on member countries to fulfill their obligations under the document, and non-member countries to soon sign, ratify and join it, contributing to its universalisation.

It is also necessary to uphold the importance of the treaty, raise public awareness of the consequences of nuclear weapons, and promote international cooperation in capacity building for developing countries, Giang said.

The diplomat reiterated Việt Nam’s consistent policy of supporting efforts in anti-proliferation and nuclear disarmament towards a world free of nuclear weapons, citing the issuance of Decree No. 81 in 2019 by the Vietnamese government on the prevention and control of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation. — VNS