IN the 27th Asean Regional Forum (ARF), Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SFA) Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. called for continuous cooperation to fight terrorism.
The country’s top diplomat expressed gratitude for the expressions of support the Philippines received in the wake of the Jolo bombings, as he reminded colleagues that “this kind of terrorism threatens everyone in the association.”
“It will be tempting to pass on the threat, but its very exportability makes this terrorism as easily importable as [the attacks that] happened in Marawi [City]. Nor is one country turning its back on another’s terrorist problem an option,” Locsin emphasized. “As terrorism grows in one, the threat of it increases in others.”
The ARF is an important and inclusive platform in the Asia-Pacific region for fostering constructive dialogue and cooperation among participants on political and security issues of common interests and concerns, such as counterterrorism and cooperation against transnational crimes.
The SFA noted that while the whole world collectively deals with the pandemic, particularly in coming up with a vaccine for the disease, states cannot ignore political and security issues of common concern, including counterterrorism.
Locsin expressed gratitude to partners like the United States and Australia “for helping retake Marawi [City],” and called for continued regional cooperation, even as the Philippines strives to improve its own defense capabilities in dealing with terrorism.
Being the country coordinator for Asean-China Dialogue Relations, he said the Philippines will “push as hard as it can for the conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.” The Philippines hopes to make substantial headway on the second reading of the negotiating draft before turning over the co-chairmanship of the negotiations to Myanmar next year.
Ministers of participating countries also adopted the following documents and statements during the 27th ARF: 1) ARF Hanoi Plan of Action II (2020-2025); 2) ARF Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Prevent and Respond to Infectious Disease Outbreaks; 3) ARF Statement on the Treatment of Children Recruited and Associated with Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups; and 4) ARF Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Security of, and in the Use of Information and Communications Technologies in the Context of International Security.
Image credits: DFA