ASEAN foreign ministers urge N. Korea to comply with UNSC resolutions

By Koh Byung-joon

VIENTIANE, July 25 (Yonhap) -- Top diplomats of Asia-Pacific countries on Monday urged North Korea to comply with all United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that call for the regime to give up its nuclear and missile programs.

In a joint communiqué issued after holding talks in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, the foreign ministers of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) also underlined the importance of resuming the long-halted six party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear program.

"We urged the DPRK to comply with all relevant UNSC resolutions, including the UNSC Resolution 2270 and acknowledged the importance to exercise self-restraint and called on all parties to exert common efforts to maintain peace and security in the region," it said, using an acronym for its official name.

"And (we urge all parties) to create an environment conductive to the early resumption of the six-party talks to make further progress in denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner," it added.

The six-party talks set up to resolve the North's nuke issue were last held in late 2008. The participating countries are the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula after the North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January, which led the U.N. Security Council to adopt the latest resolution 2270 regarded as the toughest ever sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.

The ASEAN foreign ministers expressed concerns over current developments related to the North and reiterated their support for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

kokobj@yna.co.kr

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