ASEAN countries concerned about rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region

"We expressed our concerns over the rising geopolitical tensions in the region and reiterated the value and significance of ASEAN's potential development in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure peace, security, stability and prosperity of the Association," the document said.

"We are determined to further advance the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific in cooperation with our partners, and update and promote the realization of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific through concrete projects and activities, thereby building trust, respect and mutual benefit under ASEAN leadership," the statement said.

"We reaffirm the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea," the document said.

ASEAN leaders also stressed the need to implement measures to strengthen trust among parties in the East Sea and reaffirmed the importance of complying with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Joint Statement called for the responsible implementation of all provisions of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), as well as the early adoption of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) for the parties.

"We affirm that access to outer space is an inalienable right of all nations and the use of outer space should be carried out purely for peaceful purposes and to serve the collective interests of mankind," the leaders of Southeast Asian countries emphasized.

"We call on nuclear-weapon States to fully implement their responsibilities... and recognize the need for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, which is the only way to ensure that nuclear weapons will never be used in any form and under any circumstances," ASEAN leaders explained./.