Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and Vietnam have agreed to work together to bring the territorial disputes in the South China Sea to the leaders of Europe and Asia during a retreat session scheduled yesterday at the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) in Milan, Italy.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario met on Thursday with Vietnam’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Pham Binh Minh on the fringes of the biennial summit of leaders that brings together heads of states, ministers and senior officials of 51 Asian and European countries.
Vietnam and the Philippines have separate claims on several South China Sea territories. They both agree on letting the rule of law to ensure peace and stability in the region and have been vocal in opposing China’s sweeping territorial claims in the region.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, Del Rosario and Minh expressed concern about the escalation of tensions in the South China Sea.
The statement said Vietnam and the Philippines have committed to work to convince their Asem partners to support the effective implementation of the 2002 Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the expeditious conclusion of the Code of Conduct.
“These activities [referring to unilateral actions in the South China Sea] are in contravention of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and are contrary to the 2002 Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,” said Del Rosario who represented President Aquino at the summit.
Del Rosario underscored the core issue in the dispute as China’s “nine-dash line” position, an expansive claim of “indisputable sovereignty” over nearly the entire South China Sea.
Del Rosario also brought up the recent statement of the president of the European Union Council Herman Van Rompuy, encouraging the Philippines to pursue its maritime disputes with China and defend the Philippine position in accordance with the rule of law.
During Mr. Aquino’s recent visit to Brussels as part of his European tour, the Philippines and European Union agreed that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through international arbitration
Minh commended the Philippine government in actively pursuing the issue in all international forums.
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