he EU has acknowledged the award rendered by the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea that has rejected China's claim to the vast waters in favor of the Philippines.
"The European Union and its member states, as contracting parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), acknowledge the award rendered by the arbitral tribunal, being committed to maintaining a legal order of the seas and oceans based upon the principles of international law, UNCLOS, and to the peaceful settlement of disputes," EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said in a statement on Friday.
The timing of the release coincides with the ongoing Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM) in Mongolia which, in addition to representatives from EU and ASEAN, is also attended by a number of claimant countries to the disputed region.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said despite it being a current issue relevant to many of the participants, the South China Sea dispute was not included on the main agenda of the ASEM summit. Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Deputy Foreign Minister AM Fachir are currently in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, along with the top leaders from 49 nations for the meeting.
The EU does not take a position on sovereignty aspects relating to claims, the statement further said. The regional trading bloc, which is the world's largest economy, in its statement also underlines the fundamental importance of upholding the freedoms, rights and duties established in UNCLOS, in particular the freedoms of navigation and overflight.
The EU supports the swift conclusion of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea between ASEAN and China and stated its readiness to facilitate activities that help to build confidence between the parties concerned. (bbn)
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