News Update Indonesia supports PHL stand on Spratlys

Indonesia is keeping its support for the Philippine proposal to delineate and segregate the disputed parts of the South China Sea from the undisputed areas in drafting the Code of Conduct that will bind countries with territorial claims in the Spratlys group of islands. Foreign Minister Marty Natalega said the guidance from the ASEAN Summits is how to link the Philippine proposal for a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Cooperation to the drafting of the Code of Conduct in 2012. “We don’t move out of the script from what has already been (agreed upon)," Natalega said at the conclusion on Wednesday of the 5th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between Indonesia and the Philippines. He said the Code and the Zone are in the interest of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) which has four members — Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei — with South China Sea claims. Leaving things unresolved will continue to cause conflict and disrupt peace and stability in the region," said Natalega. "Asean as a whole has a very strong interest to settle the dispute peacefully in accordance with maritime laws." Indonesia’s top diplomat said ASEAN leaders would like to see the Code in place by 2012, in time for the 10th anniversary of Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. During the talks, the Philippines and Indonesia approved a 2013-2015 action plan to advance trade, security, defense, border, and cultural cooperation. The Philippines said it is open to hosting the 6th Meeting of the Joint Working Group of Senior Officials next year to implement the existing Agreement on Trade, Investments, Handicraft and Shipping, as well as review and update the Border Trade Agreement. — ELR/VS