Cambodian PM expresses concern over situations in Syria, Korean peninsula

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Friday expressed his grave concern over the situations in Syria and the Korean peninsula, and urged relevant parties to exercise their utmost restraint.

"As a state member of the United Nations, Cambodia expresses our deep concern over the situations in the Middle East, especially in Syria, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)," he said during the opening ceremony of the Cambodian New Year celebrations at the Angkor Archaeological Park in northwestern Siem Reap province.

"We call for (all parties concerned) to exercise their utmost restraint and try to settle dispute through negotiations," he said, adding that "both firing missiles and using chemical weapons result in tragedy."

Hun Sen's calls came after the United States fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airfield last week in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack.

Western powers, including the United States, blamed the government of Bashar al-Assad for the attack.

The Syrian government denied possession of chemical weapons.

In the Korean peninsula, tensions grew as the United States has sent a nuclear aircraft carrier task group to the waters off Korean Peninsula in what it called a "reaction to provocations" by DPRK's recent missile tests. Enditem