Philippines, India Hold Inaugural Track 1 Maritime Dialogue in Manila
MANILA 16 December 2024 - The Philippines and India successfully concluded their first Track 1 Maritime Dialogue this week, marking a significant step in their bilateral relations. The dialogue was held in Manila on 13 December and was preceded by site visits by the Indian delegation to key maritime facilities in Manila and Subic.
The Philippine delegation was led by Marshall Louis Alferez, Assistant Secretary of the Maritime and Oceans Affairs Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), while the Indian delegation was led by Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary, Disarmament and International Security Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The event coincides with 75 years of diplomatic relationship between the two countries this year.
During the dialogue, the two sides expressed their shared interest in a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region for all. They exchanged perspectives on prevailing maritime challenges and discussed ways to enhance maritime cooperation in furthering a conducive environment for mutual growth and global well-being.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, and the rules-based international order. They reinforced the primacy of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework within which all activities in the ocean and seas must be carried out. They underscored the importance of respecting the rights, and freedoms of all States, including of navigation and overflight, as well as strictly abiding by the geographical and substantive limits of maritime entitlements of coastal States, in accordance with international law, particularly under the UNCLOS and its dispute settlement mechanisms. The Philippines and India reiterated their call for full and faithful compliance with the UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitration Award.
While endeavoring to increase bilateral engagements, they also deliberated on avenues to collaborate at various international and regional fora for shared objectives. They exchange views and committed to share best practices, partner in maritime capacity building initiatives, engage in information sharing, and explore other forms of practical cooperation in areas such as Regional Maritime Security, National Maritime Strategy, the Law of the Sea, Economic Opportunities in the Maritime Sector, Resilient Supply Chains, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Search and Rescue, Maritime Domain Awareness, Maritime Law Enforcement, Marine Biodiversity, Ocean Science, Marine Spatial Planning, Ocean Information and Advisory Services, and the Obligation to Protect and Preserve the Marine Environment. They also reached an understanding to look further into navy and coast guard cooperation, hydrography cooperation, and sister port arrangements, among others.
They also took the opportunity to echo the call of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the United Nations Security Council, among others, for respect for the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms, and for the immediate release of the Galaxy Leader and its crew. At the same time, they expressed appreciation to the global maritime sector for prioritizing the safety of seafarers. The Philippines encouraged India to consider proactive efforts to promote and protect the enjoyment of human rights by seafarers, and give due regard to the right of seafarers to refuse to sail in designated high-risk areas.
They committed to mutually support each other at the IMO, for the benefit of seafarers, and to engage with States and maritime industry stakeholders to look into international cooperation on timely and practical initiatives, such as enhanced awareness for seafarers navigating high-risk areas, sharing real-time threat intelligence, and development of safer routes.
The Track 1 dialogue built on the success of the inaugural Track 2 maritime dialogue held on 12 September 2023 in Manila, which identified several promising areas for collaboration between the two countries. The progress to a Track 1 dialogue signifies the commitment of both sides to deepen their engagement on maritime issues.
The second round of the Philippines-India maritime dialogue will be hosted by India in 2025. END
