Philippine official: COC agreement expected in November
Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo said Asian countries will likely agree on a code of conduct for the East Sea (COC) when regional leaders meet for a summit in November.
Philippine official: COC agreement expected in November (Photo: rappler.com)
Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine ForeignAffairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo said on June 5 that Asian countries willlikely agree on a code of conduct for the East Sea (COC) when regional leadersmeet for a summit in November, the online newspaper nikkei.com reported.
Manalo made the statement at a panel onachievements and challenges of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) under the framework of the 23rd International Conference on the Futureof Asia in Tokyo, Japan.
ASEAN should become a model for the peacefulmanagement and resolution of disputes as well as effective regional integration,he was quoted by nikkei.com as saying.
Previously, ASEAN and China officials finishednegotiations on a draft framework of COC in Guizhou, China on May 18, whichwill be submitted to the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting. The approval of thedraft framework is the first step for the following negotiation process onbuilding COC document, contributing to maintaining regional peace andstability.-VNA
The 14th Senior Officials’ Meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) will take place in Guiyang city, the Chinese province of Guizhou on May 18.
ASEAN member countries and China have reiterated the commitment reached by their high-ranking leaders to fully and effectively effectuating the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman on May 20 expressed hope that ASEAN and China could conclude a framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) at the end of this year.
The 13th Lodz East Asia Meeting (LEAM) recently in Poland held a discussion on territorial disputes in the East Sea and navigation security in Asia for the first time.
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Philippine official: COC agreement expected in November (Photo: rappler.com) 
