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Arroyo to attend nuclear summit in Washington


After a shortened trip to Vietnam, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will head this coming week for Washington D.C. to attend the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) to avert nuclear terrorism. The Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said that Mrs. Arroyo will attend the NSS slated on April 12 and 13, with 43 other world leaders invited by US President Barack Obama. "As President Arroyo remains fully committed towards protecting its nationals abroad, she intends to actively cooperate with other leaders to squarely face the challenge posed by nuclear terrorism," the DFA said in an article on its website. President Arroyo returned Friday from Vietnam where she attended the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Participants to the summit will discuss the threat posed by illegal diversion of nuclear materials and to develop steps to secure vulnerable nuclear materials; combat nuclear smuggling; and deter, detect and disrupt attempts at nuclear terrorism. They will also discuss measures to promote nuclear security at the national, regional and global levels. Also, the DFA said the Philippines supports efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism with millions of Filipinos living and working in many parts of the world. It added the Philippines considers the NSS as a complement to ongoing efforts and initiatives to rid the world of nuclear weapons. The NSS comes ahead of the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (PT) Review Conference which the Philippines will preside at the United Nations headquarters in New York in May. NPT, which entered into force in 1970, is a cornerstone in the global pursuit of nuclear disarmament. It was designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to further the goal of nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament, and to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The Philippines' participation in the NSS is also expected to enhance the country's capability to implement its nuclear security program. — LBG, GMANews.TV

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