The Phillipines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. (Photo: news.abs-cbn.com)Hanoi (VNA) – The Phillipines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalohas reiterated the country's firm resolve to address the East Sea (also known as West Philippine Sea or South China Sea) issue through peaceful and legal means.
Speakingat the 59th Munich Security Conference (MSC) held from February 17 to 19 inMunich, Germany, the secretary said that rival claims can only be solvedpeacefully by adhering to peaceful and rules-based approaches, the PhilippineStar reported on February 20.
ThePhilippine approach, articulated long before and formalized in the 1982 ManilaDeclaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, enjoys thesupport of the international community.
Hesaid that tensions caused by incidents and aggressive actions inconsistent withthe 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) arenot conducive to promoting peace and stability.
Hecalled for the preservation and strengthening of multilateralism and arules-based order amid the difficulties posed by post-pandemic recovery, theRussia-Ukraine conflict, and escalating strategic rivalry between the US and China.
Accordingto Manalo, the UN could initiate an extensive debate regarding“rule and order applicable in the maritime domain and the South China Sea” tohelp raise awareness of the importance of the 1982 UN Convention onthe Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as well as maintaining a rules-based order so thatany dispute or conflict is resolved through the rule of law and peaceful meansinstead of forcible measures and aggressive actions./.
