(Eagle News) — Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said that many pressing issues are to be discussed in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and related meetings on Friday and Saturday, including the South China Sea dispute, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, the rampant sea kidnappings, and the Abu Sayyaf bandits.
These are among the issues that were tackled during the meeting on Thursday, including the work plan for 2017 as well as their reports and recommendations to the ASEAN senior officials and ASEAN ministers.
The ASEAN political security community council meeting will discuss many issues on Friday, April 28.
Boliovar said that the commemorative activities on the 50th anniversary of ASEAN this year, ASEAN’s relations with its dialogue partners and other external parties, and preparations for the 50th ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting and related ministerial meetings in August were also discussed on Thursday.
Now, when asked whether the arbitration issue was raised during today’s meeting, Bolivar said, he cannot tell yet because the meeting was still ongoing, as of the time he was giving the press briefing.
A draft of the chairman’s statement, which recently reached the media, did not mention the Philippines’ arbitration win.
In defense, Bolivar said it was still a work in progress.
He said they just have to prepare it so as to have some sort of an outline or elements because it would be impossible for them to consolidate everything, including the views of other member states, within two hours considering the numerous issues that would be tackled before its issuance at end of the 30th ASEAN Summit.
The ASEAN related meetings opened on Wednesday, April 26.
The series of official meetings that will culminate with the 30th ASEAN summit on Saturday, April 29. The meetings kicked-off on Wednesday with the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN.
