Foreign ministers from the Indo-Pacific region adopted an ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) chairman's statement expressing concern that North Korea's nuclear and missile development threatens regional peace and stability, urging the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and denuclearization. The statement included the phrase "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" for the second consecutive year.
According to diplomatic sources on the 26th, the Philippines, this year's ARF chair, released the chairman's statement on its website. The statement contained the results of the 33rd ARF Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which was attended by more than 20 countries including South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia.
The statement said, "The Meeting expressed concern over the recent developments in the situation on the Korean Peninsula and emphasized the importance of resuming peaceful dialogue among all relevant parties to achieve lasting peace and stability in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula."
The statement particularly "expressed serious concern over North Korea's continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs in violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," pointing out that "this is a worrying situation that threatens regional peace and stability."
It also emphasized, "The Meeting called for the full implementation of all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and took note of the efforts of the international community to pursue the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner," adding that "diplomatic efforts, including the creation of a favorable environment for peaceful dialogue among all relevant parties, should remain a top priority."
It further added, "The Meeting reaffirmed its readiness to play a constructive role in fostering a favorable atmosphere for peaceful dialogue among relevant parties, including through the use of ASEAN-led platforms such as the ARF."
Regarding the situation in the South China Sea, the statement said, "The Meeting looked forward to the continued efforts to conclude the negotiations for an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) consistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) within the year," explaining that "the Meeting emphasized the importance of self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimant states and all other states that could complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea."
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, it said, "We are seriously concerned about the renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran," and expressed support for "diplomatic efforts to bring lasting and enduring peace to the Middle East."
