Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia said he and delegates of his Funcinpec Party are to visit North Korea in July. File Photo by Mak Remissa/EPA

May 12 (UPI) -- Rising tensions on the Korean peninsula are compelling countries friendly with Pyongyang to take a more active approach to North Korea.

Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia said he promises to de-escalate tensions with a visit to North Korea in July, the Khmer Times reported Friday.


But the prince said his role would only play a secondary function to any measures China would take to prevent the increased likelihood of conflict, according to the report.

"Let China mediate before we say anything," Prince Ranariddh said outside the Royal Palace in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. "If China fails to make any progress, then I am a close friend of the North Korean leader and I will say something to make sure that nuclear war does not break out."

The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly condemned North Korea's growing nuclear weapons program, but Pyongyang has said the development of weapons of mass destruction is for the purposes of deterrence.

Tensions rose in 2017 as North Korea continued to test ballistic missiles, some of them failing immediately after launch. The United States in response deployed the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and supersonic bombers to the peninsula.

In Phnom Penh, Prince Ranariddh said he and delegates of his Funcinpec Party would visit Pyongyang to not only ease tensions but bolster ties with the Korean Workers' Party.

The announcement follows a meeting between the Cambodian politician and Ma Chol Su, the head of international affairs for North Korea's Workers' Party.

Friendship between the two countries dates back to the '70s, when King Norodom Sihanouk spent part of his exile from Cambodia in North Korea.

The time spent in North Korea also culminated in a close personal relationship with North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, according to the East-West Center and the National Committee on North Korea.