Indonesia to ratify CTBT if U.S. does

WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- Indonesia's foreign minister Monday said that if the United States ratifies the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, Indonesia would follow suit.

Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesia foreign minister, addressed the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington and announced that if the United States ratifies the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, Indonesia would also take steps to ratify the treaty, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reported.

There are currently nine countries that have yet to ratify the CTBT including the United States, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, North Korea and Indonesia.

Jessica Mathews, president of the Carnegie Endowment, suggested that the announcement from Indonesia could remove concerns from U.S. officials that if the United States moves to ratify the CTBT, then no other country would.

"Indonesia's commitment to ratifying the CTBT after the United States sends an important signal to two key audiences," Mathews said in a statement.

"It should reassure those in Congress who fear that even if the United States ratifies that no one else will, and it sends a clear message to other holdout states that the era of stalemate is over."