Indonesia is prepared to work with ASEAN to complete COC in SCS.
Indonesia is prepared to work with ASEAN to complete COC in SCS.
January 10, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Retno Marsudi, the minister of foreign affairs, emphasised that Indonesia is prepared to collaborate with all ASEAN nations, including the Philippines, in order to expeditiously finalise the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (SCS).
Following a bilateral meeting with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo in Manila on Tuesday, January 9, Marsudi released the statement.
According to a transcript of her news conference, the minister said, "We welcome the Statement on Maintaining and Promoting Stability in the Maritime Sphere in Southeast Asia issued by ASEAN Foreign Ministers on December 30 last year."
Marsudi believes that the declaration made by the ASEAN foreign ministers is a critical step towards ensuring prosperity, peace, and stability in the SCS.
In recent months, there have been numerous disagreements in the SCS between the Philippines and China, particularly in the vicinity of the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, which is a part of the Spratly Islands.
Nearly the whole South China Sea (SCS) is claimed by China, including a portion of the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration declared that China's claims lacked legal support.
The Philippines put up a new code of conduct for peace and stability in the SCS in November 2023.
The suggestion was made in response to concerns expressed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over protracted talks between China and Southeast Asian nations over the COC in the SCS.
In November 2002, the South China Sea Declaration of the Conduct of Parties was signed by China and the ASEAN. China had never before acquiesced to a multilateral accord on the matter.
Source en.antaranews.com
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