"Russia and the United States must set an example on nuclear security."

Nuclear Security SummitThe event taking place in Washington, D.C., has been attracting international attention in recent days. This conference, held every two years since 2010, was initiated by U.S. President Barack Obama. The issues discussed at this conference are also the subject of analysis in this program.World Overviewof Vietnam Television with the participation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh - Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Assessing the results achieved from the initiative for a world withoutnuclear weaponsRegarding the initiative launched by US President Obama seven years ago, Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh said: “I think that the initiative to organize a nuclear security summit proposed by President Barack Obama is a very great initiative. It is the dream of all humanity when the world is nuclear-free. Looking back over the past period, there are three points that assess the success of this initiative.”

Firstly, the conference has been held three times (2010, 2012, 2014), and at each conference, the leaders of the participating countries committed to reducing the number of nuclear weapons. Secondly, the number of nuclear warheads has been significantly reduced since 2010 – from over 20,000 to just over 15,000. Thirdly, and I think the biggest success, is the Iran issue. In May 2015, the P5+1 reached a very important agreement, under which international atomic energy agencies have the right to inspect and monitor Iran's nuclear weapons development process, and Iran committed to dismantling this program in exchange for expanded international relations and the lifting of sanctions.”

Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh shared his views in the "World Overview" program.

The 2016 Nuclear Security Summit focused on the risk of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists and made specific commitments. In response to the question, "In your opinion, how can we ensure that the commitments and calls made at the summit don't become empty slogans?", Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh analyzed: "It's true that it's very difficult to make commitments that cannot be fulfilled. In my opinion, to prevent those commitments from becoming mere slogans, first and foremost, nuclear powers must seriously implement their statements and set an example for smaller countries, especially the United States and Russia."

Secondly, poor and small countries should not make nuclear weapons the goal of their development. Modern development is about peaceful, sustainable development, not using nuclear weapons as a shield to ensure security and prosperity. They must be very cautious in formulating their development policies.

Finally, I think the third point is that countries must address world security issues through peaceful means, through negotiation. There is no better solution than multilateral and bilateral negotiations to reach a consensus.”

Also in the commentary on the World Panorama program, Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh offered his observations on the international community's approach to the process.Denuclearization on the Korean PeninsulaAccordingly, he argued that the international community needs to be more persistent, more resolute, and more committed in order to achieve results.

"If we had to summarize the international community's approach to the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue, we could use three 'K's – not yet truly 'persistent,' 'resolute,' and 'committed' – but there have been many efforts. The resolution issued on March 4th is a new step in the international community's desire and will to resolve the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue. This new step is demonstrated by its very high binding force on North Korea, forcing North Korea to choose between existence or non-existence."nuclear programor continue to develop normally. This commitment is a very strong resolve from the international community. However, the international community's approach needs to be more persistent, more resolute, and with a stronger commitment,” Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh analyzed.

To hear a more detailed analysis by Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh on the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit, please watch the video below in the World Overview program:

According to VTV.vn