PH, Australia Agree to Strengthen Maritime Cooperation
DFA Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela Ponce (front row, sixth from left) and Acting First Assistant Secretary Justin Whyatt of the US and Indo-Pacific Strategy Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia (front row, fourth from left) lead discussions in the 2nd Philippines- Australia Maritime Dialogue.
CANBERRA 20 June 2022 – The Philippines and Australia agreed to strengthen cooperation in maritime issues, including in fisheries, maritime domain awareness, marine environmental protection, defense, and marine science.
At their second Maritime Dialogue held on 01-03 June 2022 in Canberra, the Philippines and Australia exchanged views on the impact of strategic trends in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the context of the recently concluded domestic elections on both sides, and engagements with partners such as ASEAN, the United States, and European countries, among others.
Maritime legal issues, especially in the South China Sea, were also discussed, with both sides focused on strengthening cooperation in affirming the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Award on the South China Sea Arbitration in multilateral fora and through legal diplomacy.
DFA Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela A. Ponce led the Philippine delegation, while Acting First Assistant Secretary Justin Whyatt of the US and Indo-Pacific Strategy Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade led the Australian delegation.
In her opening remarks, Assistant Secretary Ponce recalled that the Maritime Dialogue was a concrete outcome of the 75th Anniversary of the Philippines-Australia diplomatic relations, and an important demonstration of the intention to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.
The delegations also agreed on the importance of strengthening the academic network in the region as another avenue for facilitating cooperative activities. In this regard, they emphasized the importance of the Track 1.5 component of the Dialogue led by the University of the Philippines Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea and La Trobe University.
The delegations from both sides included representatives from the security, fisheries, defense, and law enforcement agencies.
The Philippines will host the third Maritime Dialogue in Manila next year. END