Tensions on Korean Peninsula to Top Upcoming ASEAN Summit Agenda

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula has been marked as one of the main topics to be discussed at the upcoming summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is scheduled to take place in the Philippines on April 26-30, Thai Foreign Ministry’s deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs said on Friday.

BANGKOK (Sputnik) — ASEAN, established in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, currently includes Brunei, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia as well. The association strives to enhance regional cooperation in the economic, social, cultural and other spheres, as well as to promote peace and security.

"If the Korean Peninsula becomes destabilised, this would also affect other areas of the Asia-Pacific region," Suriya Chindawongse said, as cited by the Bangkok Post newspaper, adding that ASEAN leaders will try to find long-term solution for the Korean Peninsula issues during the ASEAN Regional Forum, which is the only multilateral forum on Asian security that North Korea takes part in.

Among other top issues likely to be discussed at the summit, Suriya named the South China Sea Code of Conduct (CoC), which is aimed at developing a strict mechanism for settling disputes and avoiding conflicts emanating from territorial disputes in the region.

"ASEAN and China share a common stance of getting the CoC done as quickly as possible," he said.

The South China Sea is the scene of a number of territorial disputes between several countries, mainly China, the Philippines and Vietnam.