Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) — A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea issued the following press statement on Friday:
The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and other ASEAN-related meetings, held recently in Manila, the capital city of Philippines, discussed the issues of ensuring regional peace and security and expanding cooperation among regional countries.
The DPRK respects the leading position and role of ASEAN to ensure regional peace and security on the principles of respect for sovereignty, sovereignty equality and non-interference in internal affairs and pays attention to the fact that ASEAN aspires after co-prosperity and unity as a regional community.
However, the U.S. and some countries following it are raising waves of confrontation while inciting division and antagonism, abusing the ASEAN arena as a space for justifying their evil intention, contrary to the general will of regional countries prioritizing peace, development, stability and cooperation.
The diplomatic authorities of the U.S., Japan and the ROK have resorted to the hostile rhetoric toward the DPRK, talking about “its denuclearization” and debated the issue of the Taiwan Strait under the pretext of “freedom of navigation”. This proves the fact that the U.S., Japan and the ROK are the root cause of regional instability and the main obstacle to ensuring peace.
Southeast Asia can never be a region subjected to promoting the U.S. “security and prosperity” and the ASEAN arena should not be a field of searching for an opportunity of criticizing other countries and inciting hostility towards them.
The U.S.-Japan-ROK futile attempt to deny and infringe upon the constitutional rights of the DPRK can neither bring up for discussion again the issue of “denuclearization”, which was irreversibly and finally concluded, nor affect the new mechanical structure of the region being built against the background of the present position of our state.
The crucial threat to be feared and guarded by the region and the international community is the exclusive security and economic bloc being formed, led by the U.S., and the attempt of Japan and the ROK systematically violating the nuclear non-proliferation system under the active patronage of the U.S. to go nuclear.
Consistent is the stand of the DPRK to develop friendly and cooperative relations with the ASEAN member states, which respect the sovereignty and right to development of our state and take friendly attitude to it, and make responsible contributions to ensuring regional peace and security.
The DPRK will as ever actively promote regional peace and development and cooperation on the principle of mutual benefit and co-prosperity, thoroughly deter any attempt of the hostile forces to encroach upon the inviolable sovereign rights of the state and firmly defend the core interests of national security. -0-
