Malaysia, Phillippines committed to ongoing negotiations regarding South China Sea, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and the Philippines are committed to ongoing negotiations regarding the South China Sea, aimed at establishing a 'code of conduct' (COC) through constructive dialogue and consultations, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his Facebook post shared that the matter was discussed with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique A. Manalo, who is currently visiting Malaysia for the 8th Malaysia-Philippines Joint Commission Meeting (JCM), at the Parliament building here on Wednesday (Oct 16).

"As we commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between our nations, I am enthusiastic about advancing our partnership with a focus on mutual respect and collaboration.

"The convening of the Philippine-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) holds significant promise for strengthening ties and fostering bilateral cooperation, especially as it marks the first meeting of its kind since 2011,” he said.

Anwar also said that this presents an excellent opportunity to explore new avenues of cooperation, particularly in areas such as agriculture and food security, the digital economy and the halal industry. - Bernama