The Philippines today reiterated its call for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to stop its provocations and head back to the negotiating table hours after Pyongyang sent another ballistic missile towards Japan.
“We again call on the DPRK to cease its provocative and highly dangerous actions that threaten the peace, stability and security of the region,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said from New York where he will be attending the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“DPRK must put a stop to these tests and to start talks instead,” Secretary Cayetano said as he reiterated Manila’s call for dialogue, saying the missile launches not only undermine efforts towards a peaceful resolution of issues in the Korean Peninsula but also exacerbate an already tense situation there.
“We likewise continue to urge the DPRK to abide by the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, as the Philippines remains committed to complying with the same,” the Secretary said.
Secretary Cayetano said he will be consulting with fellow ASEAN Foreign Ministers in New York on what ASEAN can do to help reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers are scheduled to meet next week in New York, and are expected to have a dialogue with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the sidelines of the UNGA.
“Of course, we are also concerned about the safety of the 242,000 Filipinos in Japan who may be impacted by these provocative acts,” Secretary Cayetano emphasized.
“Our Embassy in Tokyo and Consulate General in Osaka are closely monitoring the situation and are regularly providing updates to the Filipino community,” the Secretary said.
“Our kababayans in Japan must closely monitor the Embassy’s announcements and to update information on their whereabouts and contact details with the Embassy or Consulate General,” he said.
Friday’s launch is the third such incident involving Japan, following a similar missile test on 29 August, which also ended with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, while the first occurred back in 1998.
This marks the 13th DPRK ballistic missile test for 2017 alone, and comes on the heels of the adoption of UNSC Resolution No. 2371 (2017) on 5 September, which strengthened sanctions against DPRK in light of their 6th nuclear detonation test a day earlier.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued a statement on 7 September deploring and expressing grave concern over the nuclear tests and emphasized its readiness “to play a constructive role in contributing to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.” END | dfa-pr
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