Addressing the event, Filipino Vice President Jejomar Binay highlightedthe importance of peace and stability in the East Sea to the SoutheastAsian region in particular and the Asia-Pacific in general.
Binay affirmed the need to promote cooperation among regional countriesto ensure peace, security and stability in the East Sea. He stressedthat cooperation activities should be implemented on the basis ofrespecting principles of international laws, including the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).
At the event, the delegates reaffirmed the principle of settlingdisputes in the East Sea through peaceful measures in line withinternational laws as well as respecting sovereignty and jurisdiction ofcountries.
They also spoke highly of existing toolsin the region, especially the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea and clarified the connection between the initiative andexisting cooperation mechanisms for the East Sea, particularly theimplementation of DOC./.