President Aquino again pushes for peaceful resolution of sea row

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 22): President Aquino again pushes for peaceful resolution of sea row

President Benigno Aquino III again pressed for the peaceful way of resolving ongoing maritime disputes in the South China Sea.

The President made his reiteration during the 18th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit here attended by ASEAN leaders as well as China, Japan and South Korea.

“Excellencies, our long-term goal of building an East Asian Community will only be truly realized when cooperation is matched by a steadfast commitment to maintain peace, stability, and security in the region,” he said.

“On this note, the Philippines reiterates the primacy of the rule of law. We underscore the need for peaceful settlement of disputes in the sea known by many names, in accordance with international law including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). We are determined to see our arbitration case to its final, legally-binding conclusion, and likewise urge all parties to pursue the establishment of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” he added.

South China Sea has been the center of Aquino’s statements during his interventions in various ASEAN plenary sessions here including the 18th ASEAN-China Summit attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Aquino stressed that the speedy creation of a binding Code of Conduct on the South China Sea would be a “fitting symbol of the maturing relationship between ASEAN and China.”

Also during the APT Summit, the President underscored the need to come up with policies on water resources management to address the rising challenge posed by global climate change including El Niño.

“In the coming year, our scientists are anticipating the other face of climate change: A more intensified El Niño, which can dry up our reservoirs and deprive our lands of the harvests we have become accustomed to,” he said.

The President said he welcomed the progress in the implementation of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Agreement, which remains the main mechanism for strengthening regional food security and reducing poverty in the region.

“APTERR can likewise be extended to cover several other commodities, and we highlight the need to explore the possibility of such. We also urge the transformation of the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) into a permanent mechanism to strengthen food security in the region,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=830021