New York, 2 August 2022 (TDI): The United States Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken attended the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)’s Review Conference. The 10th Review Conference of NPT will continue till August 26.
Secretary Blinken at the Review Conference:
The Secretary of state also attended the first meeting of the tenth Review Conference of NPT. During his visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York, he also met with officials from different countries.
While announcing his visit, he said that he was feeling good about coming back to New York City for the Conference. He explained that NPT has helped a lot in the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Moreover, he affirmed that the U.S. will continue its commitment to strengthening the treaty in the future.
Good to be in NYC at the @UN for the #NPTRevCon. For more than 50 years, the #NPT has been at the heart of the nuclear nonproliferation regime. Today, the U.S. reaffirms our commitment to preserving and strengthening this critical treaty for future generations. pic.twitter.com/ygAwjC2h71
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 1, 2022
Address at the Review Conference:
The Secretary of State addressed the conference during its first meeting on Monday. He appreciated the NPT for implementing a rules-based order in the world for 50 years.
The NPT has been an irreplaceable and vital component of a global rules-based order for half a century. It remains a cornerstone of the nuclear nonproliferation regime and the foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. pic.twitter.com/jS5XwJ7Wmz
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 1, 2022
During his address, he thanked the officials from different states for attending the Conference. He expressed special gratitude to the Prime Minister of Japan for attending the Conference.
Secretary Blinken highlighted how almost all states have either joined NPT or announced themselves as nuclear-free zones. He also said that many states have also gone through disarmament which includes U.S. too.
He announced that the number of stockpiles in the U.S. now is 90% less than they were in 1967.
During his speech, he called for all states to reject the spread of nuclear weapons. He also said that If any NPT state party does pursue nuclear weapons, then they will immediately act against it.
His address also put emphasis on the Russian aggression on Ukraine and called for states to partner up against it.
In concluding his remarks, he highlighted the importance of the Review Conference. He said that it gives an opportunity to discuss how to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict and the chance of miscommunication during a crisis.
Meeting with UN Secretary-General:
Antony Blinken met with the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres ahead of the first meeting. The two sides discussed on the importance of collective working under the UN to stop the war.
I met with @UN Secretary-General @AntonioGuterres today in New York to reiterate the importance of working together at the United Nations to prevent Russia’s war against Ukraine from further worsening global food insecurity. pic.twitter.com/Mj51p0W8YV
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 1, 2022
They also talked about the impacts of the war on the whole globe. Moreover, Secretary Blinken highlighted the importance of stopping the Russian aggression on Ukraine from worsening. He said that the worsening situation brings problems for the world as well as the global food security crisis.
Meeting with the Slovenian Foreign Minister:
Antony J. Blinken met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Tanja Fojan on Monday. Their meeting saw a discussion about strengthening relations between the U.S. and Slovenia.
Productive discussion with Slovenian Foreign Minister @TFajon in New York. The U.S. strongly supports Slovenia as a very well-qualified @UN Security Council candidate. In our discussion, we emphasized the need to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its brutal war. pic.twitter.com/OwzXE4Xo9f
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 1, 2022
Moreover, they also discussed about holding Russia accountable for its aggression in Ukraine on international forums.
The Secretary of the state affirmed that America supports Slovenia as a candidate in the Security Council He also highlighted the need of supporting Ukraine through different means.
The two sides also expressed their views on the situation in Western Balkans and discussed about their possible agenda on the Bled Strategic Forum. The Forum will be held by the end of August.
🇸🇮🤝🇺🇸
Foreign Minister @tfajon with Secretary @SecBlinken: Cordial meeting on common challenges to international security, with focus on #Ukraine️. They confirmed shared views of the situation in the #WesternBalkans, ahead of the Bled Strategic Forum #BSF later this month. pic.twitter.com/CYhKPbxR07
— MFA Slovenia (@MZZRS) August 1, 2022
Meeting with the Fiji Prime Minister:
The Secretary of state also met the Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama on Monday. Blinken praised the Prime Minister on Fiji’s regional leadership.
Good to meet with @FijiPM Bainimarama in NYC today. I conveyed my deep appreciation for Fiji’s ongoing regional leadership. The Pacific is vital to this Administration, and we appreciate Fiji’s guidance and partnership as we strengthen our engagement throughout the region. pic.twitter.com/KDXYrRios3
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 1, 2022
He also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for helping America in strengthening its engagement in the Pacific region.
Good to see @SecBlinken so soon after our meeting at the G20 –– looking forward to some productive meetings in Washington DC this week to take the Fiji-USA friendship into a new blue frontier of engagement. pic.twitter.com/38t2twk6P8
— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) August 1, 2022
The Secretary of State affirmed America’s relations with other participating officials too.
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