By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday called for the peaceful resolution of the nuclear threat posed by North Korea and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Marcos made the call during his intervention at the 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit Retreat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
In his speech, Marcos called on North Korea to adhere to the resolutions of the United Nations (UN) Security Council which forbid the East Asian nation from conducting ballistic or nuclear weapon tests.
Raising concerns over the recent actions of North Korea, otherwise known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Marcos emphasized the importance of holding peaceful negotiations with concerned parties to maintain stability in the region.
“The Philippines reiterates its grave concerns over the series of missile launches conducted by the DPRK this year,” Marcos said.
“We call on the DPRK to comply with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and we encourage the continuation of dialogue and engagement among concerned parties with the aim of stabilizing the situation in the region,” he added.
North Korea launched as many as 23 missiles on November 2 in response to South Korea’s joint military drills with the United States.
Two days later, the Department of Foreign Affairs condemned North Korea’s flurry of ballistic missile tests, one of which landed near the South Korean waters.
With regard to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Marcos urged the two parties to return to diplomacy and take into account the human cost of the war.
Marcos said the recent developments in the region and around the world have not only slowed global efforts towards economic progress but have also “uncovered the real struggle facing the human race: the defense of the common universal values that underpin our common humanity.”
“We are also concerned with the severe and disruptive international economic ramifications of this ongoing conflict, particularly on global food and energy security and commodity supply chains,” he said.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has affected businesses and people’s livelihoods as it impacts the prices of fuel, food, and other commodities.
Marcos also echoed the call of the ASEAN foreign ministers in their joint statement in August 2022 that called for maximum restraint as they urged all parties to refrain from provocative actions. (PNA)
