Philippines says it is committed to peaceful means to settle disputes in South China Sea

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Philippines adheres to "peaceful means to settle disputes" in the South China Sea, the country's foreign affairs secretary said Sunday.

"While our government vessels and fisherfolk continue to be harassed in our own waters, and as we remain on the receiving end of illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous actions in the South China Sea, we abide by the UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) as reinforced by the binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea," Theresa Lazaro said at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

The suffering of the millions enduring hunger and fear in the Gaza Strip must stop, said Lazaro. "Ceasefires must hold."

Unrestricted humanitarian access restored and children, women as well as other innocent civilians must be protected from further violence, she said.

The process of healing must begin, Lazaro highlighted.

A two-state solution remains "the only viable diplomatic solution for sustainable peace," she added.

The Israeli army has killed nearly 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. Months of air and ground assaults have left Gaza largely uninhabitable, pushing its population into famine.