SFA Locsin Participates in 27th ARF, Calls for Continuous Counter-Terror Cooperation, Reaffirms Commitment to COC Negotiations

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. delivers his intervention during the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum held via video conference for the first time on 12 September 2020.

PASAY CITY 16 September 2020 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. participated in the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum held, for the first time, via video conference on 12 September 2020.

As he expressed gratitude for the expressions of support for the Philippines in the wake of the Jolo bombings, the country’s top diplomat called for continuous cooperation to fight terrorism.

“I remind colleagues that this kind of terrorism threatens everyone in the Association. It will be tempting to pass on the threat; but its very exportability makes this terrorism as easily importable as happened in Marawi. Nor is one country turning its back on another’s terrorist problem an option. As terrorism grows in one, the threat of it increases in others,” Secretary Locsin emphasized.

The ARF is an important and inclusive platform in the Asia-Pacific region for fostering constructive dialogue and cooperation among participants on political and security issues of common interest and concern, such as counter-terrorism and cooperation against transnational crimes.

Secretary Locsin noted that while the whole world collectively deals with COVID-19, particularly in coming up with the vaccine for the disease, states cannot ignore political and security issues of common concern, including counter-terrorism.

Secretary Locsin expressed gratitude to partners like the United States and Australia “for helping retake Marawi,” and called for continued regional cooperation even as the Philippines strives to improve its own defense capabilities to deal with terrorism.

Being the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, he said the Philippines will “push as hard as it can for the conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.” The Philippines hopes to make substantial headway on the second reading of the negotiating draft before turning over the co-chairmanship of the negotiations to Myanmar next year.

The Ministers of ARF participating countries also adopted the following documents and statements during the 27th ARF: 1) ARF Ha Noi Plan of Action II (2020-2025); 2) ARF Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Prevent and Respond to Infectious Disease Outbreaks; 3) ARF Statement on the Treatment of Children Recruited and Associated with Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups; and 4) ARF Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Security of and in the Use of Information and Communications Technologies in the Context of International Security. END