The Philippines secured a key diplomatic gain in its ASEAN chairship as regional foreign ministers agreed to endorse the concept and terms of reference for a proposed Philippine-based Maritime Center, moving the initiative closer to approval by Southeast Asian leaders.
“We haven’t really decided all the other issues concerning this, but this is a very important result of our [ASEAN] chairship,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro Lazaro said at a press briefing on the eve of the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila.
The center will serve as a “knowledge hub and support platform on maritime-related initiatives and issues in accordance with the priorities identified by the ASEAN member states,” she said.
Its establishment is part of the Declaration on Maritime Cooperation adopted by regional leaders during the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu last May.
Lazaro also welcomed the inclusion of the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum as an ASEAN sectoral body, saying it would “advance regional maritime cooperation and coordination” among member states.
Amid regional maritime disputes, the forum will provide a platform for coast guard and maritime law enforcement agencies of ASEAN member states to discuss their concerns and communicate their needs to dialogue partners, Lazaro said.
“The ASEAN Maritime Center is not only devoted to academic discussions, it involves issues of port authorities [and] the whole gamut of blue economy,” she added.
