The Chair of the 24th ASEAN Summit has issued a statement expressing deep concerns over the ongoing developments in the East Sea.

The statement affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability, maritime security and safety and freedom of navigation and aviation on the East Sea.

It called on all parties to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) to fully and effectively implement the DOC in order to create an environment of trust while restraining themselves, resolving disputes by peaceful means in line with universally accepted principles of international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) without resorting to use or threat to use force.

The ASEAN Summit Chair also laid emphasis on the need to early achieve a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

At the same time, the statement recognised the importance of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the Current Developments in the East Sea issued by the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) on May 10.

In their statement, the ASEAN FMs said the on-going developments in the East Sea have increased tensions in the area.

They urged all parties concerned, in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions which could undermine peace and stability in the area, and to resolve disputes by peaceful means without resorting to threat or use of force.

The ministers underlined the importance of maintaining peace and stability, maritime security and safety and freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the East Sea as well as the ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles on the East Sea and the Joint Statement of the 15th ASEAN-China Summit on the 10th Anniversary of the DOC.

They called on all parties to undertake full and effective implementation of the DOC in order to create an environment of mutual trust while emphasing the need to expeditiously work towards an early conclusion of the COC in the East Sea.-VNA