President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today hosted lunch for the 105 delegates to the two-day Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review workshop, which opened today at the New World Hotel in Makati City.

The Philippines has accepted the presidency of the 2010 Review Conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), with Ambassador Libran Cabactulan discharging the function.

Those who participate in the review workshop are ambassadors from Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Japan, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo also participate in the review workshop, as do representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Council of the EU High Representative, International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, and Philippine Government organizations.

The Philippines is an ideal choice for the 2010 NPT Review Conference presidency. It has always taken the position that the world is better off without the threat of nuclear annihilation.

It has called on the international community to energize the negotiation on the substantive issues, stalled for several years, for the benefit of humanity.

The workshop aims to provide the opportunity for delegates from developing countries to participate and complement other multilateral disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation meetings.