SFA Locsin Discusses Regional and International Issues at the 53rd AMM and Related Meetings

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. delivers his intervention during the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held on 09 September 2020.

PASAY CITY 21 September 2020 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. highlighted the importance of adhering to international law when it comes to territorial disputes during the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) held on 9 September.

“It is in international law that we seek refuge. It is through international law that alone we must hope to reap rightful gains. That is our non-negotiable.” Secretary Locsin emphasized during the annual AMM, which was held via video conference facilities.

He also stressed that the conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea continues to be the goal and aspiration of the Philippines, for the peace and stability of the region.

The Philippines chairs the ongoing COC negotiations between ASEAN Member States and China in its capacity as country coordinator for ASEAN-China dialogue relations.

Secretary Locsin and his fellow Foreign Ministers from ASEAN Member States and dialogue partners also discussed pandemic recovery, counter-terrorism, the South China Sea, and other regional and international issues during the AMM and other related Ministerial meetings that were held from 9 to 12 September.

The country’s top diplomat also underscored the importance of “sincere and strengthened” counter-terrorism cooperation in the wake of the bombings in Jolo, Sulu.

On COVID-19, Secretary Locsin called for governance that is decisive, predictive, proactive, inclusive, responsive, and data-based amid COVID-19’s paradigm-shifting impact.

ASEAN is working with its dialogue partners and other external parties in addressing the adverse impact of COVID-19 through various initiatives. These efforts include the operationalization of the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, the establishment of the ASEAN regional reserve of medical supplies, and standard operating procedures for public health emergencies. The ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund has received pledges from ASEAN Member States and external partners, including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, UK and Australia.

During the 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 9 September, Secretary Locsin emphasized the following in the context of the region’s response to the pandemic: inclusive access to vaccines; adapting health protocols to allow limited travel arrangements among EAS Participating Countries; support for an EAS Health Experts’ Meeting this coming October that would facilitate exchange of information and best practices; building a “new order” and seizing opportunities brought by the pandemic to reform and build back stronger; and putting a halt to illicit cross-border trade in wildlife in order to preempt future pandemics.

Secretary Locsin also attended the 27th ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC), the 21st ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum, the Post-Ministerial Conferences with Dialogue Partners, the Special Session of ACC on Sub-Regional Development, the AMM Interface with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), and the Meeting of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission. END