Leaders from China and the ASEAN countries called for an early resumption of the six-party talks to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Monday.

 

Wen said at a press conference after a China-ASEAN summit marking the 15th Anniversary of the Dialogue Relations between China and the ASEAN that China and the ASEAN urged all parties involved in the six-party talks to abide by a landmark joint statement issued on September 19, 2005, which was adopted by the six parties -- China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan -- for the cause of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large.

 

In that joint statement, the DPRK promised to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs while the United States affirmed that it had no intention of attacking or invading the DPRK with nuclear or conventional weapons.

 

"We all call for an early resumption of the six-party talks," Wen said.

 

Echoing Wen's remarks, Arroyo, president of the Philippines that holds the rotating presidency of the ASEAN, emphasized the importance of regional peace and stability in Asia.

 

The Chinese and ASEAN leaders agreed that the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula should be resolved in a peaceful way, Arroyo said at the press conference.

 

Arroyo also called for an early resumption of the six-party talks concerning the nuclear program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

 

Arroyo expressed appreciation for the role that China has played in solving the issue, adding that the summit has provided a "significant" platform for discussing economic and security issues.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2006)