UPDATE - Leaders of Philippines, Indonesia discuss disputes in South China Sea

ADDS MORE DETAILS FROM BILATERAL MEETING, CHANGES HEADER, DECK, INTRO, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – The leaders of the Philippines and Indonesia discussed territorial disputes in the South China Sea and other regional matters Wednesday.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo met in Manila, said a statement from the Philippine presidency.

President Widodo and “I had a fruitful and honest discussion on regional events of mutual interest such as the developments” in the South China Sea, Marcos said after the meeting.

The two sides also discussed regional cooperation and initiatives under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he added.

Tensions in disputed waters between the Philippines and China have persisted in recent weeks amid overlapping maritime claims by the two sides.

Marcos said the Philippines and Indonesia “affirmed our insistence on the universality” of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which “sets out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and seas.”

Territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea involve conflicting island and maritime claims in the region by several sovereign ASEAN nations including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Taiwan also has claims in the disputed waters.

However, China and ASEAN signed the South China Sea Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DoC) in November 2002, marking the first time Beijing had accepted a multilateral agreement on the issue.

The agreement is yet in the negotiations phase and has not been fully agreed upon by the two sides.

Last November, Marcos proposed a new code of conduct for stability in the disputed South China Sea.

He sought support from nations like Vietnam and Malaysia to create a new sea code for maintaining peace in the disputed waters.

The Philippines and Indonesia also signed an agreement on energy cooperation Wednesday and also agreed to strengthen ties in defense, security and trade.

“As immediate neighbors and fellow archipelagic states, the Philippines and Indonesia agreed to continue our cooperation on political and security matters,” said Marcos.

Widodo welcomed the strengthening of cooperation on border security, but said "there are issues that need to be resolved."

These include the need to expedite the Revision of Border Crossing Agreement and Border Patrol Agreement of 1975 and the discussion on the settlement of continental boundaries.

Widodo also sought Marcos’ support for the Philippines’ purchase of anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the Philippine Navy from Indonesia, according to the statement.

​​​​​​​*Islamuddin Sajid contributed to this story