MFA Press Statement: ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Seminar on Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Singapore, 27-29 March 2006

Senior officials and experts from 25 ARF members and the ASEAN Secretariat participated in the ARF Seminar on Non-Proliferation held in Singapore from 27 to 29 March 2006. Co-chairing the event with Singapore were China and the United States.

In his keynote address at the opening of the Seminar, Mr Andrew Tan, Deputy Secretary (Policy), of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his concern with the dangers posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD) terrorism. He urged participants at the Seminar to discuss frankly the strengths and weaknesses of their domestic and regional responses, and to learn from each other.

Participants at the Seminar reaffirmed the serious threat posed to international security by the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery, and exchanged views on how cooperation to curb the proliferation threat could be further strengthened. They agreed on the need for countries to strictly comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1540, and to implement more stringent controls to prevent the proliferation of WMDs and WMD-related materials.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
29 MARCH 2006