THE fourth joint committee meeting between the Philippines and the European Union was held on Dec. 3, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.
The meeting centered on reviewing the current bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation under the Philippines-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
The fresh round of talks builds upon the outcomes and recommendations from four subcommittee meetings held this year encompassing trade, investment, maritime cooperation, good governance, rule of law and human rights.
The Philippine delegation was led by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and the EU delegation by Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service Niclas Kvarnström.
The two parties reaffirmed their commitment to respect freedom of navigation and overflight as provided for in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
Both sides expressed concerns over illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive measures against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea, noting their commitment to uphold Unclos and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award.
The Philippines and the EU reiterated their condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and expressed their full support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
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