VP Binay: Malaysia supports PHL call for UNCLOS-based resolution to
Panatag Shoal issue
Vice
President Jejomar C. Binay on Tuesday called on Malaysian Prime
Minister Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak at the Prime Minister's office
in Putrajaya. The meeting is the first high level, bilateral
discussion between the two countries in five years. |
By OVP Media
May 29, 2012
PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia is supporting the Philippines' position that a
resolution of the Panatag Shoal dispute with China should be based on
the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Vice
President Jejomar C. Binay said today.
In a meeting at the Prime Minister's office, Binay said Malaysian
Prime Minister Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak also favors the participation
of member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) who are also claimants to the Spratlys in talks to resolve the
Panatag dispute.
The Spratlys, located in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea,
is being claimed by four ASEAN countries, along with China and Taiwan.
"I conveyed to the Prime Minister our government's position on the
dispute with China over Panatag Shoal and he supports our position
that it should be resolved based on international law," Binay said.
"Both the Philippines and Malaysia agree that there needs to be a
legal commitment to enter into a peaceful resolution of the dispute,"
he added.
The Vice President's meeting with the Malaysian Prime Minister is the
first high level, bilateral discussion in five years between the two
countries.
Earlier, Binay served as keynote speaker at the Philippines-Malaysia
Investment Partnership Forum where he expressed confidence that the
two countries “will continue to work together until the issues are
satisfactorily resolved in favor of peace and economic cooperation.”
Joining him were 35 business leaders belonging to the Philippine
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Employers’ Confederation of
the Philippines.
Binay
expressed optimism that the forum will bring in more investments in
key industries of the Philippines and boost interest in Mindanao as an
investment destination.