PL
Manila, Aug 5 (RHC) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in a statement today called for peace and stability in the South China Sea, during the bloc’s Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in this capital.
In the joint text, the 10 foreign ministers from Southeast Asia expressed their concern on issues such as land reclamation and serious incidents in the area, including damage to the marine environment from overexploitation. Situation that has eroded confidence and increased tensions in the region.
In addition, the Asean ministers welcomed the progress in the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) talks and urged all parties to continue promoting a conducive environment for the negotiations.
China and the regional bloc are currently working to speed up the conclusion of the COC negotiations.
We stressed the importance of undertaking preventive measures to enhance, among other things, trust between the parties, and reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the statement said.
Last May 2022, Beijing and Asean resumed the physical textual negotiation of the Single Draft of the COC Negotiating Text during the 36th Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the Southern Sea of China. (Source/PL)