PGMA's Opening Statement during a Press Conference |
Imperial Room II, Hotel Inter-Continental Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia (05 November 2002) |
| GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE IN CAMBODIA AT THE ASEAN LEADERS' SUMMIT FOR THE SAME REASON I WAS IN MEXICO AT THE APEC LEADERS' MEETING LAST WEEK: TO FOCUS ON THE ECONOMY AND SECURITY OF THE PHILIPPINES. THE ASEAN-CHINA MEETING UNDERSCORED AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT IS MOST SIGNIFICANT FOR OUR COUNTRY, NAMELY: THE SIGNING OF THE ASEAN-CHINA DECLARATION ON THE CONDUCT OF PARTIES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD GIVE OUR PEOPLE PEACE OF MIND. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO THE STABILITY AND PROGRESS OF ASIA. THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IS A MAIN ARTERY OF REGIONAL AND GLOBAL TRADE. THE WORLD PRESS AND STRATEGIC THINK TANKS HAVE CALLED IT A MAJOR FLASHPOINT IN ASIA. WITH THE ASEAN-CHINA DECLARATION, THIS IS NO LONGER SO. IT HAS BECOME AN AVENUE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY. THE SOUTH CHINA SEA HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE NEXUS OF OUR EXTERNAL DEFENSE CONCERNS. NOW, WE CAN EASE OUR ANXIETIES. UNDER THE DECLARATION, ALL CLAIMANTS ARE NOW COMMITTED TO RESOLVE THEIR TERRITORIAL AND JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES THROUGH PEACEFUL MEANS WITHOUT RESORTING TO THE THREAT OR USE OF FORCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOGNIZED PRINCIPLES OF THE INTERNATIONAL LAW, INCLUDING THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA. THE CLAIMANTS HAVE ALSO AGREED TO HOLD DIALOGUES AND EXCHANGES OF VIEWS AMONG THEIR DEFENSE AND MILITARY OFFICIALS. THEY WILL ALSO STEP UP COORDINATIVE ACTIVITIES TO COMBAT TRANSNATIONAL CRIME AND TERRORISM. THE PHILIPPINES HAS BEEN AVIDLY ENGAGED IN THIS ISSUE EVER SINCE ASEAN PROMULGATED THE 1998 HANOI PLAN OF ACTION WHICH CALLED FOR A REGIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. OUR GOVERNMENT MADE A FIRST DRAFT OF THIS CODE AND SHEPHERDED IT THROUGH VARIOUS AMENDMENTS AND PROPOSALS. BY 1999, ASEAN HAD SUBMITTED AN INITIAL DRAFT TO CHINA. IN JANUARY 2000, ASEAN ADOPTED THE PHILIPPINE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A TASK TEAM TO WORK FURTHER ON THE CODE. BY OCTOBER OF THE SAME YEAR, CHINA AND ASEAN HAD COME UP WITH THREE CONSOLIDATED TEXTS, EACH TIME NARROWING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM. THE DEFINING MOMENT CAME AT THE LAST MINISTERIAL MEETING IN BRUNEI, WHEN ASEAN AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO ADOPT THE DECLARATION. I AM GRATIFIED TO NOTE THAT THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE DECLARATION - THE PRINCIPLE OF NO NEW OCCUPATION -- HAS GAINED ACCEPTANCE FROM ALL THE PARTIES. I AM ALSO PROUD THAT IN RECOGNITION OF THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE PHILIPPINES IN MOVING THIS DECLARATION TO THE POINT OF SIGNING, OUR FELLOW ASEAN CLAIMANT- COUNTRIES NOMINATED THE PHILIPPINE SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING LEADER, SSENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS UNDERSECRETARY LAURO BAJA -- STAND-UP LARRY AND BE RECOGNIZED -- TO REPRESENT THEM IN THE INITIALLING OF THE DECLARATION. I'D LIKE TO COMMEND HIM AND THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT TEAM HEADED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS THAT WORKED ON THIS ISSUE FOR FOUR LONG YEARS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY BLAS OPLE, UNDER WHOSE LEADERSHIP ON THE PART OF THE PHILIPPINES, THIS WORK OF MANY YEARS FINALLY CAME INTO FRUITION. NOW, THAT WE HAVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY FRAMEWORK IN PLACE, ASEAN AND CHINA CAN NOW SHIFT THEIR ENERGIES AND RESOURCES TOWARDS BROADER COOPERATION IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. BECAUSE FOR THE PHILIPPINES, WHETHER IT'S THE DEFENSE OF THE NATION'S SOVEREIGNTY OR IMPROVING E-ASEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OUR PHILIPPINE CITIZENS. THANK YOU. |