Philippines, Indonesia Conclude 7th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation
MANILA 09 January 2024 — Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo and Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno L.P. Marsudi co-chaired the Ministerial Meeting of the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) on 09 January 2024.
The JCBC is the primary dialogue mechanism between the Philippines and Indonesia to review accomplishments on mutual collaboration initiatives, exchange views on issues of mutual interest, and consider plans for enhancing cooperation.
The two Foreign Ministers took stock of the progress in the implementation of the bilateral priorities in the Philippines-Indonesia Plan of Action 2022-2027, which they signed on the sidelines of the State Visit by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to the Republic of Indonesia on 04-06 September 2022. The Plan of Action covers multifaceted cooperation in political and security; border issues; regional and global issues; economic cooperation; sociocultural and people-to-people exchange; and judicial and consular matters between the Philippines and Indonesia.
"We committed to continue implementing our Plan of Action towards further elevating our bilateral relations to new heights, especially as we mark the 75th Anniversary of Philippines-Indonesia Diplomatic Relations this year," Secretary Manalo said in a press conference following the Meeting.
Both sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the South China Sea, the situation in Myanmar, and in the Middle East, among others.
"Our time-honored partnership has positively evolved in a way that enables us to address the many developments through the years in our bilateral relationship, as well as the changing regional and global landscapes. I have no doubt that through the JCBC, the Philippines and Indonesia will achieve much more success in the future," according to Secretary Manalo.
Secretary Manalo and Foreign Minister Retno also looked forward to the official visit to the Philippines by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 09-11 January 2024. END