Asean countries call for diplomacy to end conflict

Countries in South-east Asia have called for more dialogue among relevant sides to seek a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Russian forces invaded Ukraine yesterday, confirming the worst fears of the West with the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II.

Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, which is the Asean chair this year, said: "Although we are far away and a small country, international issues such as this are very concerning to us.

"The Malaysian Prime Minister and I also discussed this issue, and what we wish to see is a peaceful solution," he told the media in Phnom Penh yesterday when asked about the conflict in the presence of visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

"I and the Malaysian Prime Minister are of the opinion that Asean needs a strong voice. Therefore, any statement to be issued should have the consensus of Asean, including on the Ukraine-Russia issue," Mr Hun Sen was cited by the Bernama news agency as saying.

Datuk Seri Ismail, who was on an official visit to Cambodia, said: "Malaysia hopes that the best possible peaceful settlement between Ukraine and Russia can be reached soon, and subsequently successfully resolve the conflict."

In a series of tweets yesterday, he said the government's priority at this time was to ensure that Malaysian families in Ukraine are safe, The Star Online reported.

Indonesia yesterday also expressed its concerns over the escalating armed conflict in Ukraine.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said Indonesia urged that international law and the United Nations Charter on territorial integrity of a nation be upheld, and condemned any action that violates a state's territory and sovereignty.

Indonesia re-asserted that all parties prioritise negotiations and diplomacy to end the conflict and seek a peaceful resolution, he added.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine has also kept a close watch on the recent tensions, Vietnam News reported.

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Thi Thu Hang, responding to queries from reporters, said Vietnam called on relevant sides to practise self-restraint, step up dialogue efforts and promote diplomatic measures to peacefully deal with conflicts in line with the United Nations Charter and basic principles of international law.

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte's acting spokesman Karlo Nograles said that the safety of Filipinos in Ukraine remained foremost on the mind of the President.

"The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, is now conducting repatriation efforts of Filipinos living in Ukraine."

The Royal Thai Air Force was also preparing chartered flights and military cargo planes for possible evacuation of Thai nationals in Ukraine.