Ph, India Reaffirm Commitment to Peaceful Settlement of Int’l Disputes

The Philippines and India are seeking ways to further deepen and strengthen their bilateral relations through intensified cooperation in the fields of politics, defense and security, and economy and investments.

At the third meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Commission (JCBC) in New Delhi, Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario and India Minister for External Relations Sushma Swaraj noted that institutionalized mechanisms such as the Foreign Policy Consultations, Strategic Dialogue, and Joint Consular Consultation Meetings had been convened; and agreed that the Joint Working Groups/Joint Committees that support these mechanisms be held regularly to discuss and agree on concrete and time-bound targets in the various identified areas of cooperation.

According to Secretary Del Rosario, the identification of time-bound action plans would allow both countries “to measure the progress of our work and provide us a better idea and appreciation of where our cooperation stands.”

Both Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Swaraj highlighted the growth in economic ties between the Philippines and India. Since 2012, annual total trade between the countries hit above the US$1 billion mark.

Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Swaraj also expressed satisfaction at the deepening defense cooperation, especially in exchanges in military training and education, capacity building, and regular goodwill visits by Indian Naval Ships to the Philippines.

Both sides also agreed to further strengthen defense and security cooperation in the areas of maritime domain awareness, intelligence sharing, capability building, White Shipping and defense production.

Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Swaraj also affirmed the Philippines and India’s commitment to the rule law and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

Secretary Del Rosario briefed Minister Swaraj on the developments in the West Philippine Sea, and the status of the Philippine arbitration case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands. Minister Swaraj meanwhile expressed support for the peaceful resolution of the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea dispute.

Both sides reiterated the importance of the settlement of all disputes by peaceful means and of refraining from the threat or use of force, in accordance with universally-recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

The two Ministers asserted the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. In this regard, they reiterated the importance of an expeditious conclusion of a Code of Conduct and full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The Philippines recognized the steps taken by India to solve its maritime boundary with Bangladesh through arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and its acceptance of the ruling as an example of peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, by the International Court.

To further strengthen Philippines-India partnership, both Ministers stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation in sectors such as Agriculture; New and Renewable Energy; Science & Technology; Information Technology; and Education sectors and encouraged the convening of relevant JWGs to further strengthen cooperation in these fields.

At the third meeting of the JCBC, Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Swaraj also signed the Executive Program on Cultural Exchange, seen to further strengthen the cultural and civilizational ties between the Philippines and India, and exchanged instruments of ratification on the Extradition Treaty between the Philippines and India. (DFA)