Phnom Penh(TIP): Ukraine signed a peace accord Nov 10 with Southeast Asian nations, a largely symbolic act that comes as Kyiv seeks to shore up international support in isolating Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister DmytroKuleba signed the “Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia” as the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations got underway in Phnom Penh.
In an early November call with Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy, Cambodian President Hun Sen stressed the need for an end to the war “so that Ukraine can regain peace, stability, territorial integrity and development,” according to Hun Sen’s office.
“Cambodia is against the aggression, the threat of or use of force over sovereignty and the territorial integrity of an independent state, and does not support the secession or the annexation of territory by other countries,” Hun Sen said on the call.
The Cambodian leader also pledged to support Ukraine’s aspirations to become a “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” with ASEAN, a step toward the full “Dialogue Partnership” the group has with Russia, China, the United States and others.
The “TAC” peace treaty established in 1976 commits parties to “mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all nations,” among other things. Ahead of the summit, Daniel Kritenbrink, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said the inclusion of Ukraine was important, especially since Russia’s invasion “has sent shockwaves throughout the Indo-Pacific, as we’ve seen through rising energy and food prices.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed questions about the significance of Ukraine’s presence at the meetings. “This theme in general has nothing to do with us,” she said. — AP