Vietnam pledges to fight proliferation of weapons of mass destruction - Illustrative image (Source: Kyodo/VNA)

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations told an Open Debate of the UN Security Council in New York on June 28, that Vietnam welcomes the ongoing United Nations Conference to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. The ambassador said that non-proliferation efforts should not hinder the legitimate rights of states to acquire, produce and use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear-related materials, equipment and technology for peaceful purposes. She also underlined an importance to avoid placing undue burdens on states in these efforts, but rather to help states, especially developing countries, develop effective strategies for countering new types of crime.