By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia can play an important role in Asia on disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation towards a nuclear weapons-free world, says the Australian co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), Prof Gareth Evans.
Given the fact that the United States and Russia’s new leaderships are committed to nuclear disarmament action, he said here Thursday that Malaysia, with its reputation of fighting for a nuclear-free region, could play its part to promote the agenda of nuclear security.
“What we expect and hope from Malaysia is actually to be a strong voice for the whole achievement of the agenda,” he told reporters after presenting a report, entitled “Eliminating Nuclear Threats, A Practical Agenda For Global Policymakers”, at Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS).
Also present were ISIS chairman and chief executive officer Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, ISIS director-general Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin and Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie.
Evans, a former Australian foreign minister, is in Kuala Lumpur as part of a tour of several key Non Proliferation Treaty (NTP) party countries to promote ICNND’s work and advocate a practical agenda for global policy makers in eliminating nuclears threats.
He is enroute to Washington to attend the Global Nuclear Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama on April 12 and 13. During his stay here, he discussed with Malaysian stakeholders a policy option and international efforts for a nuclear weapons-free world.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is among 40 world leaders scheduled to attend the summit. The invitation was extended to Malaysia to enable the country to share its views on nuclear issues, although it’s not a nuclear country.
Evans said that with the new motion committed by the US and Russian leaderships on nuclear disarmament action, he would be moving within the Asian countries to promote ICNND’s work, share opinions and discuss the option for having a weapons- free world.
“I will be moving around to get strong support for the agenda of nuclear security. What we are looking from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore and more key players in Asia are moderate, constructive, realistic but principled stands in every decision made,” he said.
The 230-page ICNND report is the most comprehensive of it kind yet produced, and is the unanimous product of an independent global panel of 15 commissioners who together brought an unprecedented level of technical and policy expertise, strategic and political experience to the year-long deliberations and consultations.
Among the significant recommendations are the setting of a medium-term minimisation point target to be reached by 2025 of a world with less than 2,000 nuclear warheads or more than 90 per cent reduction of the present nuclear arsenal.