Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh co-chaired the UN Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in New York on September 23.

Speaking at the conference, Foreign Minister Minh reiterated Việt Nam’s consistent policy of striving for general and complete disarmament, with top priority given to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.

Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh co-chaired the UN Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in New York on September 23.

Speaking at the conference, Foreign Minister Minh reiterated Việt Nam’s consistent policy of striving for general and complete disarmament, with top priority given to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.

“Việt Nam has been trying its best to contribute to international efforts towards such noble goal and has acceded to all major related international treaties”, Foreign Minister Minh said. “It is our hope that the CTBT, once brought into force, would significantly strengthen our existing mechanisms in our striving for a nuclear-free world.”

The Vietnamese diplomat said that Việt Nam was among the first to sign the CTBT in 1996 and in 2006, and the country leaders have made continued efforts to prepare for the implementation of CTBT upon its entry into force.

“Together with ASEAN fellow countries, Việt Nam is working hard to promote the Treaty on Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone”, he added. He also took this opportunity to call on states, especially nuclear weapons states, to sign and ratify the protocol annexed to the Treaty.

On September 24, Foreign Minister Minh attended informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM) which was held on the sidelines of the 66th meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York.

On the occasion, Foreign Minister Minh also met with his counterparts from Cuba, Argentina, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Kyrgyzstan.

He and his Costa Rican counterpart Enrique Castillo also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two foreign ministries.

At a meeting with Executive Director of UNICEF Carol Bellamy, Mr. Minh spoke highly of the support of UN organizations, including UNICEF in Việt Nam, over the past time, saying that he hoped the two sides would continue strong cooperation to implement the Joint Cooperation Program for the 2012 – 2016 period.