Vietnam is committed to observing all obligations stipulated by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of Vietnam’s permanent representative delegation at the United Nations (UN) has said.

Speaking to the Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT held in New York from April 27-May 22, Ambassador Nga said Vietnam has always complied with international standards and regulations in building infrastructure for nuclear power use in Vietnam, especially in ensuring nuclear security and safety.

She also stressed that Vietnam has actively joined international initiatives and mechanisms on disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and increased cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The conference, held every five years, reviewed the progress of the Action Plan adopted in 2010 and reaffirmed commitments to realising the NPT Treaty. Participants also called for increased global cooperation and highly appreciated the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in technical support and improving the capacity of using nuclear energy in developing countries.

In his speech at the event, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the focused discussions on the consequences of nuclear weapon use in a humanitarian perspective has rekindled the “frozen debate” regarding nuclear weapons by the global community.

The Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) member states have called for start of negotiations on a nuclear weapon convention while more than 100 countries asked for strengthening legal mechanisms for nuclear weapon disarmament.

However, due to differences of opinions on several issues, the conference failed to reach an ultimate document.

The Vietnamese delegation, together with member countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM), contributed constructive ideas to the event.-VNA