27 June 2013 - Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman arrived in Manila on June 26 to meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario.
In a meeting held today, June 27, at the Department of Foreign Affairs, the two sides discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations, including the convening of the 8th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) preferably within the year. The JCM, which will be hosted by Malaysia, is the main bilateral consultative mechanism between the Philippines and Malaysia.
Secretary del Rosario thanked the Foreign Minister for Malaysia’s commitment to the GPH-MILF peace process and requested their support for the closure of the Tripartite Review Process. The two ministers also discussed cooperation in relation to the Lahad Datu incidents. Both sides likewise expressed support for each other’s candidatures in the United Nations and other fora.
On regional matters, the Secretary briefed Foreign Minister Anifah on the two rules-based components of the Philippines’ approach to the West Philippine Sea: the arbitration case filed
by the Philippines and the Code of Conduct. The Foreign Minister said that Malaysia respects the Philippines’ decision to file an arbitration case under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), noting that Malaysia had also resorted to international legal adjudication in the past. Both expressed support for the expeditious beginning of negotiations on the Code of Conduct, which will be taken up at the forthcoming 46th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) to be held from June 29 to July 02 in Brunei Darussalam.
A part of a series of visits to ASEAN capitals, this is Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman’s first trip to an ASEAN capital following his reappointment as Foreign Minister. He will proceed to Brunei for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Prior to this visit, Foreign Minister Anifah was in Manila with Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak on the occasion of the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro on 15 October 2012. END