Speaking on the first day of the conference on April 27, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang said the global security and political environment faces the most serious and complex challenges in decades, particularly in conflict hotspots, and called for stronger recommitment to the treaty’s objectives to prevent nuclear catastrophe.

She described the NPT as an important foundation of the international security architecture and called for strict and balanced implementation of its three pillars: nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

She said nuclear-weapon states bear special responsibility to fulfil disarmament commitments and refrain from threatening the use of force, while promoting confidence-building measures and enhancing exchanges on strategic issues. She also called on countries to promote complementary international mechanisms, including early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and increased accession to and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Vietnam also stressed the importance of and the rights of developing countries in the peaceful use of nuclear energy to promote progress, including through strengthened international cooperation, expanded access to technology and expertise, and sustainable financial resources.

Hang highlighted Vietnam’s efforts to improve its legal and policy framework, including the adoption of a strategy on the development and application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes to 2035, with a vision to 2050, and the promotion of scientific research and technological applications in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, environmental protection and energy security.

In the face of complex global challenges, she called on the international community to reaffirm support for the NPT by stepping up joint efforts and adopting a balanced and substantive outcome document to guide the next review cycle.

The 11th NPT Review Conference, chaired by Vietnam, runs from April 27 to May 22 and includes a series of thematic sessions among member states.

Vietnam’s delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and includes Major General Nguyen Dinh Hien, commander of the Chemical Corps under the Ministry of National Defence, who also serves as standing deputy head of the national focal agency for preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, along with representatives from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam chairs opening of NPT review conference at United Nations

VOV.VN - The 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) opened at United Nations headquarters in New York on April 27, with Vietnam presiding.

Vietnam urges stronger nuclear disarmament ahead of NPT review conference

VOV.VN - Vietnam has called for stronger nuclear disarmament efforts and greater transparency ahead of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), set to open in New York on April 27.