ARF Foreign Ministers' Meeting "Concerns over South China Sea and Hong Kong Issues... Peace on the Korean Peninsula Requires Continued Dialogue"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] At the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, concerns were raised regarding the South China Sea and Hong Kong issues, along with calls for peace on the Korean Peninsula without nuclear weapons.

According to major foreign media on the 12th, concerns were raised at the ARF Foreign Ministers' Meeting regarding recent regional security issues such as the South China Sea and Hong Kong. The ARF is a multilateral security consultation body involving 27 countries, including the 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, North Korea, and India.

According to Kyodo News, Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the ASEAN chair country, emphasized in his opening remarks at the meeting held via video conference that as the regional situation becomes increasingly complex, it is important to reduce security threats through mutual trust.

The foreign ministers emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea issue. They also reportedly agreed on the necessity of resolving disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hishammuddin Hussein stressed at the meeting, as reported by Kyodo News, that "the South China Sea must be a sea of peace, stability, and trade, and can never be a stage for disputes." Malaysia is involved in territorial disputes over the South China Sea with China, along with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressed "serious concern" over a series of situations related to the Hong Kong National Security Law during the talks, according to a report citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Motegi reportedly stated that the implementation of the controversial Hong Kong National Security Law undermines the international community's trust in the principle of "one country, two systems."

Regarding issues related to the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministers agreed on the need for the parties involved to continue dialogue to resolve differences for sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula without nuclear weapons, according to Vietnam News Agency (VNA). They also urged the full and effective implementation of United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.

Additionally, the foreign ministers agreed on the need to utilize the ARF for disaster relief activities and cooperation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, the statement "ARF Statement on Enhancing Cooperation for Epidemic Prevention and Response," proposed by the chair country Vietnam, was adopted, the news agency reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.