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PH wary of looming 'arms race,' use of nuclear weapon amid Russia-Ukraine conflict
PH wary of looming 'arms race,' use of nuclear weapon amid Russia-Ukraine conflict
The Philippines has expressed concern over "a new arms race," including the use of nuclear weapon, that is looming amid the continuous conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
So, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations Carlos Sorreta encouraged other members of the United Nations to seek each others' help "to take a step closer in advancing our common goal" due to a "very challenging" geopolitical environment the world is currently in.
"As what President Marcos conveyed at the General Assembly last week, 'unity is possible even in the most trying circumstances,'" Sorreta said as he delivered the Philippine statement during the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday night (Philippine time).
The country's official also believed that "nuclear weapons do not promote security" as much as he believed that "no aspiration or ambition could ever justify their use or possession."
Citing the President's pronouncements, he said the Philippines rejects "the notion that nuclear disarmament obligations are subservient to unilateral and subjective assessments of their own views of the current international security situations."
He also warned that: "nuclear weapons coupled with emerging technologies and the vulnerabilities of cyber capabilities could mean that we are even closer to the total elimination of (the) human race."
"Nuclear weapons states parties to the NPT (Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty) must reduce the salience of nuclear weapons in their security policies and doctrines," Sorreta insisted.
Rather, they must "commit to the qualitative and quantitative reduction of all nuclear stockpiles, uphold the highest level of transparency and accountability including through enhanced reporting and reporting mechanisms until the total elimination of nuclear weapons is achieved," he added.
Joining the international community in commemorating and promoting the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, the Philippines places the highest importance to its call, Sorreta said.