Phnom Penh: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for coordinated international responses to North Korea’s missile provocations and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at a meeting of regional leaders in Phnom Penh Saturday.

North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches are a grave challenge to the international community that cannot be overlooked, Kishida said at the summit of leaders from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, China and South Korea.

The international community needs to be united to completely implement U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions against North Korea, Kishida said.

Kishida, referring to Russia, said any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in Asia and elsewhere is not condoned.

Moscow’s threat to use nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable, and they must not be used, he said.

Kishida said he strongly supports the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific, an initiative similar to Japanese-led efforts to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The meeting was attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in addition to Kishida and ASEAN leaders.

JIJI Press