ARF to Back Efforts for Nuke-Free Korean Peninsula

August 1, 2018

Singapore- An upcoming ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum, or ARF, will express its support for international efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, it was learned on Wednesday.

The meeting will take place in Singapore on Saturday, bringing together foreign ministers from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as other Asia-Pacific countries, including Japan, the United States and North Korea.

According to a draft of a chairman's statement, the ministers will express "their support for international efforts to bring about the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

The meeting participants, expected to include North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, will welcome the inter-Korean summit in April and the first-ever Washington-Pyongyang summit in June, according to the draft.

The statement will note North Korea's "stated commitment to complete denuclearization and its pledge to refrain from further nuclear and missile tests."

It will encourage the United States, North Korea and other related countries to "continue working toward the realization of lasting peace and stability on a denuclearized Korean Peninsula."

On the issue of Japanese abductees in North Korea, the statement will pay attention to opinions expressed by "some ministers" to emphasize "the importance of addressing humanitarian concerns, including the immediate resolution of the abductions issue."

As in previous ARF meetings, the statement will take note of "concerns expressed by some ministers" about actions that have increased tensions in the South China Sea, in an apparent reference to China's militarization there.

The statement will note "the progress of the substantive negotiations (between China and ASEAN) toward the early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea."

It will also stress "the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea." Jiji Press