Duterte, Prayut agree on strengthening Asean to face new regional challenges

“We both recognise the need to strengthen Asean centrality in the emerging regional architecture,” Duterte told a joint press conference after the meeting at Government House.
The Philippines, which is the current chair of Asean, is seeking solutions for maintaining peace and stability in the contentious South China Sea.
The country, together with many other Asean members including Vietnam and Malaysia, have had territorial disputes with China for decades.
Under its chairmanship, the Philippines hopes to have a framework for a so-called code of conduct to control the behaviour of the various countries in the region.
In the meeting, the two leaders said that effective implementation of the 2002 “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in South China Sea” (DOC) was strongly needed.
While the non-binding DOC is to be fully implemented, the Asean is also working to have another legal instrument as a code of conduct to regulate the South China Sea.
A framework of the code of conduct is expected to be completed this year, Duterte and Prayut said.
Duterte said the Philippines would commit to working with Thailand – a non-claimant in the South China Sea conflict – as well as with claimant nations in enhancing maritime cooperation and preserving peace and stability over the sea.
Ties between Thailand and the Philippines, which celebrate their 68th anniversary this year, are being strengthened via the official visit of Duterte this week.
The two leaders witnessed the signing of three bilateral agreements on science and technology, tourism, and dairy-buffalo production.
The one-on-one and panel discussions of the two leaders and accompanying officials involved many facets of cooperation, including intelligence exchanges, military, security, trade, investment, energy, agriculture and education matters.
Ongoing tensions over the South China Sea were also brought to the table.
Cooperation on information exchanges was also levered up, given growing concerns on security challenges in the region.
During their talks, Prayut and Duterte agreed to enhance such exchanges in all bilateral, Asean and Interpol frameworks in order to cope with threats such as terrorism and extremism.
Armed forces exchanges between the two countries are also expected to reach another milestone next month, when the Terms of Reference of the Joint Committee on Military Cooperation should be concluded for all Asean member countries.
On the economic front, apart from reactivating joint meetings of the two nations’ business councils, the countries are also looking forward to opportunities in Thailand’s special economic zones and the Eastern Economic Corridor, as well as in the Philippines Economic Zone.
Meanwhile, the extension of Thai white-rice procurement by the Philippines is a good sign of further government-to-government sales, and the countries have this year also held their first joint meeting on agriculture, which took place in January, with the next meeting on fisheries and aquatic resources due to be held next month.
Duterte’s official visit to Thailand was originally planned to be held earlier this year, but was postponed due to the unexpected passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej last October. The Philippine president visited the Kingdom in November to pay homage to the late King.
During the current visit, Duterte extended congratulations and best wishes to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who assumed the throne in December.
He is also set to meet the Filipino community and Thai business sectors on Wednesday before returning to the Philippines, ending his introductory official visit to the western part of the region, which also took him to Myanmar on Sunday and Monday.