02 Agosto 2021, Lunes
In the news…
Vaccine access in ASEAN meet
“US stands with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and international law, including UNCLOS,” United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will participate in five virtual ministerial meetings related to the ASEAN from today Aug. 2 to 6,2021. These will be the US-ASEAN, East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Mekong-US Partnership and Friends of the Mekong ministerial meetings.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. will raise equitable access to vaccines, pandemic recovery and the South China Sea issue at the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AFMM) and Related Meetings to be held virtually from Aug. 2 to 6.
Locsin will bring up Philippines’ priorities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during series of foreign minister level meetings. Aside from the 54th AFMM, other foreign minister meetings are the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Interface with ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights Representatives, Meeting of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Commission, 23rd ASEAN Political-Security Community Council Meeting, 29th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting, Post Ministerial Conferences with Dialogue Partners, 22nd ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, 11th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and 28th ASEAN Regional Forum.
During the meetings, Blinken will engage with leaders from across Indo-Pacific on pressing regional and international issues. He will reaffirm US commitment to ASEAN centrality and to working with ASEAN and international partners to combat COVID-19 pandemic and support economic recovery.
He will also raise importance of taking bold action to address climate crisis.
He will also express concerns about military coup in Myanmar and call on ASEAN to take joint action to urge military to end violence, release all those unjustly detained and restore Myanmar’s path to democracy.
Philippines and US signed an agreement that provides delimitations on the search and rescue regions of the two countries.
Locsin and US embassy Chargé d’affaires John Law signed Philippine-United States Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (AMSAR) Agreement.
AMSAR agreement fosters stronger bilateral cooperation in the field of maritime and aeronautical search and rescue and enhances both countries’ effectiveness in assisting persons, vessels, aircraft or other craft in distress.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) and DFA, with support from Philippine Coast Guard, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, National Coast Watch Center and the Department of National Defense negotiated AMSAR agreement from Sept. 25 to 26, 2018.
The signing of the agreement stands as proof of the Philippines’ commitment to upholding its obligations under international conventions and treaties. It will help boost Philippines’ capability to conduct search and rescue operations and save lives.
DFA said signing of the agreement, witnessed by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III who was in Manila for a visit, and Vice Admiral Eduardo Fabricante of the Philippine Coast Guard, is another milestone in Philippine-US bilateral relations celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
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