Asean defense ministers to issue ‘unified statement’ on South China Sea

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana
INQUIRER PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC

The defense ministers of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are expected to come up with a “unified statement” on the South China Sea in a meeting next month, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday.

“We are going to have some statement, also resolution on some of the conflicts on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Hopefully, magkaroon tayo ng unified statements dyan with Asean countries,” he told reporters in a press briefing.

The 11th Asean Defense Ministers Meeting and ADMM-Plus will be held on Oct. 23-24 in Clark, Pampanga.

Lorenzana said they will also hold dialogues with eight other nations, dubbed as ADMM-Plus.

“It will be a huge conference that we will talk about common interests so of course we will discuss terrorism, drugs na yan. We are in the area where we suffered a lot calamities so mga disaster management,” he said.

The ADMM countries include 10 Asean member states—Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao ODR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The eight nations included in the ADMM-Plus are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russian Federation and the United States. /jpv