“Nuclear weapons today continue to pose the most serious threat to international peace and security,” Hoang Chi Trung told the UN session. “Vietnam fully supports the work of the UNDC and calls upon member states to display the necessary political will and flexibility.”

The Vietnamese representative said the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) constituted a firm foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. He stressed the need for nuclear weapon states to fully comply with all their obligations and commitments under the pact.

“In the context of the very limited progress achieved in the field of nuclear disarmament in recent years, it has become even more pertinent and justifiable to urge that the nuclear weapon states stop the improvement, development, production and stockpiling of nuclear warheads and their delivery systems,” said Mr Trung.

He urged the UN to respect the legitimate right of all states to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

He underlined Vietnam’s consistent policy of striving for peace, opposing the arms race and preventing weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. The country signed the Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on November 15, 2006.