United Nations: Indonesia's Foreign
Minister Marty Natalegawa has said that his country would soon
ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Apart from Indonesia, the CTBT needs only eight
ratifications - China, Egypt, the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (DPRK), India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the US ?
before it can enter into force.
"We've been absolutely clear in expressing our support
to the noble objectives of the CTBT," Natalegawa told
reporters, noting that they had held back ratifying the treaty
in order to pressure nuclear states to do so first.
"We do feel that at this time, what is needed is
positive encouragement rather than pressure of a different
type that we've been trying to impart in the past," he added.
Indonesia made the declaration on the sidelines of the
Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,
which is held every five years to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of the treaty that is built on three pillars of
disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear
energy.
Natalegawa also urged the US and other nuclear states
to ratify the treaty expeditiously.
So far, the CTBT has 182 signatories, which has
been ratified by more than 150 countries.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, May 05, 2010, 19:19