ASEAN top diplomats call for cease-fire between Russia, Ukraine

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Top diplomats of Southeast Asian nations on Thursday called for an “immediate cease-fire” or “armistice” between Russia and Ukraine, urging continuation of dialogue between the two warring parties.

The foreign ministers of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said they were “deeply troubled by the intensifying gravity of the situation and ensuing worsening humanitarian conditions resulting from the ongoing hostilities” in Ukraine.

“We underline the importance of a cease-fire to create an enabling environment for negotiations to address the current crisis and avoid expanding suffering of innocent people,” said the statement released by Cambodia, the current ASEAN chair.

Russia and Ukraine are set for a second round of peace talks on Thursday as the war has entered the second week. The first round of dialogue was held on Monday.

At least 227 civilians have been killed and 525 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war last Thursday, according to the UN’s human rights body. Ukrainian authorities, however, put the death toll over 2,000.

More than 1 million people fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in a week, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

It is the second statement by the ASEAN where it “reiterated that there is still room for a peaceful dialogue to prevent the situation from getting out of control and halt the growing number of civilian and military losses and casualties, as well as the negative impacts felt worldwide.”

The ASEAN top diplomats said the regional bloc “stands ready to facilitate, in any possible way, peaceful dialogue among parties concerned.”