EU rejects use of force in sea row

MANILA, Philippines - The European Union (EU) yesterday rejected anew the use of force in the South China Sea.

Catherine Ashton, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and European Commission (EC) vice president, said the EU addresses important issues in terms of maritime security.

In the United States, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said China’s unilateral and assertive behavior in the South China Sea has rasied serious concerns about its expansive claims and its willingness tp adhere to international law and standards.

Addressing the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Monday, Russel said peace and stability in the South China Sea was important to the international community and essential to the global economy.

Ashton, who arrived in Manila on Monday on her first trip to the country, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario spoke to reporters after a meeting and an exchange of views on EU-Philippines relations, regional security and the latest development in the Mindanao peace process.

“Let me stress that the European Union encourages all parties to seek peaceful solutions throu gh dialogue and cooperation in accordance with international law, in particular with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Ashton said.

“The European Union is proud to be a party to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and we recall fundamental principles, namely: to settle dispute in peaceful means, not to resort to the use of force and to effectively cooperate among the different parties,” she added.

Del Rosario and Ashton also discussed ways of further strengthening economic links between the EU and the Philippines.

Ashton said the EU’s position is consistent and very clear: it calls for a peaceful resolution of the disputes according to international law and the UNCLOS.

But the EU does not engage in the dispute directly, she added.

Ashton said the 20th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Brussels last week was extremely good, avery impressive occasion.

“We developed close links for the countries of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),” she said. “And in this context, with the Philippines.”

On July 23, the EU shared the serious concerns expressed by the ASEAN over developments in the South China Sea.

In the co-chairman’s statement at the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, EU ministers said the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The EU ministers underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region and promoting maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation and over-flight, unimpeded commerce, the exercise of self-restraint, including the use of or threat to use force. – With Jose Katigbak