In a joint statement by the EU and ASEAN, the regional blocs on Friday expressed “grave concern” about developments in the Middle East and North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile tests in Asia.
The EU and ASEAN also called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages, especially women, children, the sick and elderly, while others emphasised the importance of freedom from arbitrary detention. But the statement did not specifically identify which party was responsible for the arbitrary detention.
Nevertheless, the international community has long accused Israel of arbitrary detention.
We called for rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, said the statement.
Israeli troops are estimated to have detained more than 3,000 Palestinians, including 200 women and young girls. The Israeli offensive in response to the attack of 7 October is responsible for the deaths of 27,000 people in the Gaza Strip.
The other issue was the South China Sea: the joint statement said the two sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight over the South China Sea in accordance with international law.
We reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of all activities and avoid actions that could increase tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings, and miscalculation, as well as well as to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, it noted.
On the war in Ukraine, the EU and ASEAN agreed that the conflict causes “immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks.”
The statement also stressed “grave concerns” about North Korea’s increased testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles:
We urged the DPRK to cease these launches and to refrain from nuclear tests. In this regard, we stressed the importance of endeavours to de-escalate the situation and to resume peaceful dialogue amongst all parties concerned in order to realise lasting peace and stability in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.
