ASEAN leaders concluded their annual summit meeting in the Cambodia capital Phnom Penh yesterday by calling for all sides to refrain from activities capable of increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

In a Chairman’s Statement adopted by the 20th two-day ASEAN Summit, the organization stated, “We urged all parties concerned to exercise self-restraint and not to undertake any steps which could lead to the escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula.”

“We called on all parties concerned to fully respect the UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009),” it went on. “We called for the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks for the interest of peace, security and stability in the Korean Peninsula. We further reiterated the call for all parties concerned to explore all possibilities to engage in peaceful dialogue which would lead to creating an atmosphere of trust and confidence among the concerned parties.”