A group of Japanese and Philippine lawmakers have agreed to promote peaceful solutions to deal with sea disputes in Asia on the basis of international law.

Six Japanese and 13 Philippine legislators on September 3 signed a joint document for cooperation on the promotion of law at sea, in which both sides will encourage members of their respective parliaments to join efforts to establish a parliamentarians’ league for maritime security in Asia, aiming at protecting and promoting maritime order based on international law.

They recognised that at sea, states should make and clarify their claims based on international law, not use force or coercion in pursuing their claims, and settle disputes by peaceful means and avoid any unilateral attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion, the document said.

The states should also strengthen cooperation based on the common recognition, it added.-VNA