Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Manila had strong words for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
In a joint statement, diplomats from the ten member states said its missile tests threaten regional stability. And they called on Pyongyang to work with other members of the ASEAN Regional Forum, or ARF, to lessen tensions.
The ministers are marking the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. They’ll be joined by diplomats from 17 other Pacific Rim nations. Among them is the Republic of Korea’s new Foreign Minister. She said she is open to meeting her DPRK counterpart.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived on Saturday. He came as ASEAN ministers discussed a long-sought code of conduct in the disputed South China Sea.
The ministers endorsed the framework. They’re expected to adopt the framework during a meeting with Wang this weekend.