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SEANWFZ Committee Meeting Set For Today Ahead Of ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Talks
By Yasmin Ahmad Zukiman
KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- The meeting of the Executive Committee of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) will be held today, in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings.
The SEANWFZ meeting is expected to revisit ASEAN's long-standing efforts to preserve the region as a nuclear weapon-free zone, as outlined in the 1995 SEANWFZ Treaty.
While all 10 ASEAN member states have ratified the treaty, efforts to secure the signatures of the five recognised nuclear-weapon states – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – to the treaty's protocol remain ongoing.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had previously stated that China and Russia have agreed to sign the protocol, while the United States is still reviewing the treaty.
Also taking place today are the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) and the Drafting Committee of the ASEAN SOM, which will prepare the groundwork for ministerial-level discussions, including negotiating and finalising the Joint Communique which will be the key outcome document of the 58th AMM.
The communique is expected to outline ASEAN's collective positions on regional integration, community-building and various regional and global issues.
The 58th AMM and related meetings, to be held under Malaysia's 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship themed 'Inclusivity and Sustainability,' will feature 24 ministerial-level meetings, including engagements with ASEAN Dialogue Partners and Sectoral Dialogue Partners.
The high-level meetings, to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from July 8 to 11, will gather about 1,500 delegates.
