ARF officials discuss regional security challenges

Senior officials from Southeast Asian nations and their dialogue partners, including the US, Japan and China, discussed the causes of tensions and security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region in Brunei on May 24, according to Kyodo News.
Senior officials from Southeast Asian nations and their dialoguepartners, including the US, Japan and China, discussed thecauses of tensions and security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region inBrunei on May 24, according to Kyodo News.

TheJapanese news agency, quoting diplomatic officials, reported that 27member nations of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) discussed the currentsituation on the Korean Peninsula and territorial disputes in theEast Sea and East China Sea.

The speakersstressed the need to resolve both issues peacefully, saying furtheraggravating the tensions might disrupt the region's stability.

ARF is an important security forum in the Asia-Pacific region, whichcomprises the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, thePhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- plus Australia,Canada, the EU, New Zealand, the US, Russia, Papua New Guinea, TimorLeste, Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republicof Korea, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Japan, China and India.-VNA

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