Leaders of ASEAN countries and dialogue partners pose for a photo at the 12th East Asia Summit in Manila, the Philippines (Photo: AFP/VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Leaders of the 10 ASEAN memberstates and partner countries have reaffirmed the importance of maintainingpeace, stability and security in the East Sea, internationally known as SouthChina Sea, while attending the recent 12th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Manila,the Philippines.
According to the EAS Chairman’s statementreleased on November 21, the EAS leaders “are encouraged by the adoption of theframework of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea (COC), which willfacilitate the work and negotiation for the conclusion of a substantive andeffective COC.”
They welcomed the announcement of the start ofsubstantive negotiations on the COC between ASEAN and China at the 20thASEAN-China Summit and the subsequent convening of the 23rd ASEAN-China JointWorking Group Meeting on the Implementation of the DOC in Vietnam in early2018.
The statement notes that the EAS leaders“reaffirmed the importance of the peaceful resolution of disputes and themaintenance of peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in andover-flight in the South China Sea.”
The Philippines, Chair of the 12th EAS, releasedthe statement one week after the summit in Manila on November 14.
Robespierre Bolivar, acting spokesperson of thePhilippine Department of Foreign Affairs, said that the delay in the statementrelease was caused by late submissions of "additional comments" byEAS participating countries.
The EAS is an annual summit between leaders ofthe 10 ASEAN countries and eight dialogue partners, namely Australia, China,India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, the Republic of Korea, and the US.
The 12th EAS was part of the 31st ASEAN Summitand related meetings that took place in Manila, the Philippines, from November 12to 14.-VNA
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