FOREIGN Affairs Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and Asean Affairs Elizabeth P. Buensuceso—the Philippines’s Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) leader—represented the country at the 23rd Asean-India Senior Officials’ Meeting on April 28.
Buensuceso led discussions on the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine research and development; science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics, or STEAM education; smart cities; health and biotechnology; agriculture and food sustainability; climate research; digital economies; as well as information and communications technology.
She also spoke about the presence of foreign militia vessels in the country’s maritime zones which not only infringe upon Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, but also threaten the region’s security and stability.
The meeting’s participants reiterated calls for adherence to the rule of law—including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS; exercise of self-restraint; resolution of disputes by peaceful means; as well as undertaking cooperative activities to build trust and confidence.
Other matters discussed during the meeting, aside from developments in Asean and India, include ways to strengthen cooperation in the region and the subcontinent’s economic matters, enhancing regional connectivity, addressing terrorism and violent extremism, sustainable development as well as disaster risk-reduction and management, the need for a closer and coordinated response to the pandemic; and enhancing cooperation in several areas of public health such as ramping up research and development for medicines, vaccine production and distribution, among other measures.
Thailand’s Permanent Secretary, SOM Leader and Country Coordinator for Asean-India Dialogue Relations Thani Thongphakdi, as well as India’s Secretary (East) of the External Affairs Ministry and SOM Leader Riva Ganguly Das cochaired the meeting. DFA