VIENTIANE: Forty-nine member-countries of the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) have adopted the Philippine call for a peaceful resolution of claims in the West Philippine Sea pursuant to international law.
Excerpts from the Vientiane Declaration showed that the heads of 20 Asian and 29 European countries, along with the presidents of the European Council and European Commission, want a “partnership for peace” in both regions.
ASEM 9, which carried the theme “Friends for Peace, Partners in Prosperity,” concluded on Tuesday at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane.
The heads of state and government of Asian and European countries, and the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), have made NCC as their venue for the convention held once every two years.
Section 5 of the Vientiane Declaration on Strengthening Partnership for Peace and Development reads:
“Renewed our commitment to refrain from the act of threat or the use of force in any manner inconsistent with the UN Charter and international law against the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of any state and to seek peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue, negotiations and other means in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.”
ASEM is the only forum where Europe and Asia engage with one another, where heads of state and heads of government discuss international issues of common concern and formulate mutually beneficial cooperation on a region-to-region basis.
ASEM, of which Philippines is a founding partner, is also a dialogue process that convened in 1996, whose main objective is forging a comprehensive partnership between Asia and Europe.
The forum is composed of 48 partners that includes all of the 10-member Asean countries, nine other Asian countries, the 27-member states of the European Union, the European Commission and the Asean Secretariat.
Norway, Switzerland and Bangladesh have just been admitted into the forum.
Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office told reporters the governments of Switzerland, Norway and the European Union have expressed support for Philippine efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement in the West Philippine Sea issue with other claimant-countries.
“In particular, Switzerland and the EU and to some extent, also Norway, indicated their full support to the Philippines in terms of our position that conflicts or disputes in that area are to be resolved peacefully and following international laws,” he said.
“They expressed support for an Asean-centric approach, which has always been the position of President Aquino, considering four out of the 10 member-states of Asean have specific stakes in the West Philippine Sea.”
Coloma made the announcement after President Aquino held bilateral talks Monday with Swiss President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Presidents Herman Van Rompuy of the European Council and Jose Manuel Barroso of the European Commission.
In a briefing at the International Media Centre, Coloma said Aquino’s counterparts have acknowledged the “increasing importance of maritime security in the West Philippine Sea.”
“And there was agreement that it is a matter of international interest, considering that a significant amount of world trade passes through that body of water,” he said.
“Therefore, the only logical approach to any conflict resolution would have to be multilateral and involving all the relevant stakeholders therein. That was the position taken by the three panels with regards to the West Philippine Sea issue.
The bilaterals with Switzerland and Norway and trilateral with EU “went on very well” where the “common thread in all discussions was agreement on increased and intensified cooperation,” Secretary Coloma said.
The Philippine Star
