(VOVworld) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on Asian nations to address territorial disputes and historical issues peacefully to make way for the future.

UN Secretary General calls on Asian nations to resolve disputes peacefully. (Photo: EPA/VNA)

At a forum held on Jeju Island, South Korea, on Thursday, Ban said Asian nations should resolve long-standing differences and now is the time to settle border disputes. He said Asian countries must rise above conflicting interpretations of history. 

Ban urged South Korea, Japan, and China to hold another trilateral summit as soon as possible because these countries have unresolved disputes over history and territory. He said that after squarely addressing the historical issues, Asian countries can focus on the future. He also raised the territorial disputes in the East Sea, saying he has long been calling for an agreement between Southeast Asian countries and China to settle their overlapping sovereignty claims. The UN chief noted that other continents like South America, Africa, and Europe have made agreements to dissolve tensions and prevent conflicts.