Southeast Asia leaders back sanctions against North Korea

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull makes an opening speech at the Leaders Plenary during ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, Sunday, March 18, 2018, in Sydney, Australia. It is the first time Australia has hosted the summit with ASEAN leaders in Australia. (Mark Metcalfe/Pool via AP)

Southeast Asian leaders and Australia's prime minister have called on North Korea to end its nuclear program and are urging United Nations countries to fully implement sanctions.

Leaders attending the first summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, to be held in Australia issued a joint statement with Australia on Sunday that also calls for non-militarization and a code of conduct in the contested waters of the South China Sea, where China has become increasingly assertive.


Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have eased recently amid plans for a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but Asian nations are still wary of any potential conflict in the region.