- Title: Foreign Ministers meeting closes as ASEAN commemorates 50th anniversary
- Date: 8th August 2017
- Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AUGUST 8, 2017) (REUTERS) PHILIPPINES FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER, ALAN PETER CAYETANO, ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS TYPING ON COMPUTERS CAYETANO STANDING ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPPINE FOREIGN MINISTER, ALAN PETER CAYETANO, SAYING: "In the past, we were strong in our statements because they (China) wouldn't stop (land reclamation). But now that there is peace and stability and there's goodwill there, that is the approach we're taking and we think it's working." CAYETANO STANDING ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPPINE FOREIGN MINISTER, ALAN PETER CAYETANO, SAYING: "The ASEAN member states and ASEAN as a whole saw deadlock with North Korea refusing to give any opening, you know. But if we made our statement one way or we didn't give an opening for ASEAN to play a role there might not be any other avenue for talks. So, we wanted North Korea to, or the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), to know that they were welcome to the ARF because it's a venue for dialogue."
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2017 14:14
- Keywords: ASEAN ASEAN commemorates 50th anniversary ASEAN celebrations regional meeting China South China Sea North Korea Manila
- Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
- City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TAPS1X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Philippine foreign minister and the chair of this year's ASEAN summit said on Tuesday (August 8) relationships with neighbouring China were heading in the right direction, as a regional meeting officially closed in Manila with a celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the bloc.
In a joint communique issued after the talks, ministers urged demilitarization in the South China Sea, the denuclearization of North Korea, and strengthened plans to counter violent extremism in the region.
Foreign ministers from ASEAN and China also adopted a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, a move they hailed as progress but seen by critics as a tactic to buy China time to consolidate its maritime power.
In a rare move, ASEAN took a stronger tone at this year's summit than it has previously, calling for North Korea to comply with U.N. resolutions and make a positive contribution to regional peace and stability.
The three-day meeting ended with a grand parade and light show in central Manila. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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