Phl gets EC backing for arbitration

BRUSSELS – European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has assured President Aquino of the European Union’s support for Manila’s peaceful approach to resolving its dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea, particularly through arbitration.

“Let me stress that the European Union encourages all parties to seek peaceful solutions, through dialogue and cooperation, in accordance with international law – in particular with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Barroso said in a statement after his meeting Monday with Aquino at the EC office here.?“The European Union is proud to be a party of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and we recall its fundamental principles, namely to settle differences by peaceful means, to renounce the threat or use of force and to effectively cooperate among partners,” Barroso said.

For his part, Aquino said he told Barroso of the Philippines’ commitment to focus on dialogue and cooperation in dealing with the territorial dispute.

“Like the European Union, we believe that the only viable and effective solution is one that is based on international law – in particular, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. This is the basis for the arbitral proceedings we initiated last year,” Aquino said, referring to the case Manila filed with The Hague-based tribunal.

He said the Philippines is in constant dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China for a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea.

Maritime tack lauded

President Aquino also welcomed the release of the EU’s new maritime strategy, which he said the powerful bloc may use to convince nations to adhere to the rule of law in settling disputes, including arbitration.

In a statement read before the media after his meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, Aquino said they exchanged views on common strategic concerns, particularly maritime security.

“We discussed the new EU Maritime Strategy. In this regard, the EU’s interest to be more actively engaged in ensuring freedom of navigation in the seas of Asia is welcome news, especially since it is a strategy anchored on the principles of international law,” Aquino said.

“This new Maritime Strategy, might I note, emphasizes the rules-based governance of the maritime domain, the respect for existing international instruments such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as maritime multilateralism,” he said.

He said he believes the EU “may contribute so much more in championing this meaningful cause – in particular, in helping convince other parties to refrain from activities that increase tensions, clarify their claims based on the UNCLOS, and thus submit the disputes to reasonable, rules-based, peaceful modes of resolution, such as arbitration.

“After all, it is our shared belief that adherence to the rule of law ensures stability, which in turn serves as the cornerstone of equitable advancement,” the President said.

“We indeed value the EU’s contributions to ensuring the peaceful and rules-based settlement of the conflicting claims in the South China Sea, an area which has served as a common domain for the many peoples of our region for centuries,” Aquino said.

High interest

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines did not really have to raise the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea issue on its own because the leaders were the ones who had asked to be briefed about it.

“It’s always the last question,” Del Rosario said.

He said this was the case with Barroso and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whom Aquino met in Madrid before proceeding here.

Del Rosario said there was nothing adversarial about Aquino’s efforts to explain developments because he was simply accommodating requests from leaders.

In fact, Del Rosario disclosed he met with Barroso ahead of Aquino’s visit here to discuss the West Philippine Sea issue upon the EU president’s request.

He said the EU had always been supportive of the Philippine position to resolve the matter peacefully and that it was a good opportunity for Aquino to inform leaders of what the country was doing consistent with this position.

Del Rosario said Rajoy was surprised about the developments in the West Philippine Sea, especially China’s reclamation of islands, because such details would normally not get to their level.

In a briefing on chartered flight PR 001 on the way here from Madrid, Aquino said Rajoy was surprised and expressed serious concern over the developments in the West Philippine Sea.

Aquino said Spanish King Felipe VI was also keen on getting updates about the issue.

Aquino said he had a long discussion with Rajoy and the Spanish prime minister expressed support for a dialogue and affirmed the EU’s position that the dispute must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law.

The President said it was important for the European countries – being China’s top trading partners – to hear the Philippine side in the issue.

Aquino said the Spanish leaders were absorbing the information he was sharing with them, particularly the photographs that were coming out in the media on “the features that are being turned into islands.”

“So that seemed to be a surprise to them. They acknowledge all of the valid points that we raised,” Aquino said.

“They (Spanish officials) are not as aware as we are obviously of the developments that have been happening... I guess they are now at the stage of fully re-appreciating the information that we imparted upon them and I am reasonably confident there will be that reiteration for the respect for international law, and discussions to settle the disputes,” Aquino said.

Asked if there was any categorical support for the Philippine position, Aquino said: “(Yes), dialogue... as a main pitch.”

“I think they adopted the soundness of the actions we have taken. We told them about arbitration, we told them about trying to push for cooperation with the Code of Conduct; and I think, in general, they already support all of that,” Aquino said.