Philippines, S.Korea discuss ways to strengthen maritime cooperation

Together with officials from the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and a South Korean delegation on Thursday convened for the second Philippines-Republic of Korea (PH-ROK) Maritime Dialogue.

According to the DFA, the objective of this dialogue is to discuss the most important issues and concerns in the ocean, including the West Philippine Sea.

DFA Assistant Secretary for Philippine Maritime and Ocean Affairs Angela Ponce said the purpose of this meeting is to discuss how the Philippines and South Korea can cooperate on issues such as ocean economy, marine environmental protection, maritime security and safety, and regional and multilateral maritime-related elements.

"This dialogue provides an opportune location to reaffirm our commitment to enhancing our mutual engagement in the maritime domain as we mark the 75th year of our diplomatic relations next year in 2024," she said.

The Philippine government has previously held maritime cooperation dialogues with allied countries such as the United States, Japan, and Australia.

Clarifying the opportunity for the Philippines to convene with another country to discuss maritime security cooperation, the government shares this opportunity only with select countries that have similar and proper goals in the region.

"For the Philippines, the establishment of a specific platform to discuss maritime and security cooperation, this maritime dialogue platform is a policy choice that we consider with only a handful of key partners. There are maritime agenda matters in all our bilateral political discussions, but this platform we propose only with partners who we can confidently say share our interest in promoting a rules-based international order as the basis of a stable and prosperous region," Ponce said.

The delegation from the Republic of Korea was led by Deputy Director-General for ASEAN and South East Asian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dong-bae Kim.

Kim said the partnership between the Philippines and South Korea is crucial for the promotion of peace in the region.

"The Indo-Pacific is a vital corridor for the free flow of goods, services, energy, people, and even ideas. The ROK-Philippines, in this context, is indispensable in fostering peace and prosperity within this region," Kim said.

While no specific country was mentioned in the dialogue, the Philippine government has previously expressed concern over the continuous harassment by the China Coast Guard of Philippine vessels, among other illegal actions such as the alleged destructive coral reef dredging in the West Philippine Sea, the blockage of Philippine resupply vessels, and the placement of floating barriers by China at Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.

The Philippines' concerns are supported by allied countries such as South Korea.

The Maritime Dialogue between the Philippines and South Korea is among the activities the two countries are undertaking to establish a strategic partnership, including high-level discussions between leaders of the Philippines and South Korea in the coming year. — BM, GMA Integrated News