Manila, Philippines - Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Saturday endorsed a framework for South China Sea code of conduct (COC) to address disputes in the South China Sea/ West Philippine Sea for eventual adoption by the regional grouping and China.
This is to give way for the next phase of negotiations on the code of conduct to manage a sea dispute in the South China Sea. Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Robespierre Bolivar said this during media briefing after the ASEAN foreign ministers met in Manila.
"So far as far as I know the consensus in Asean is at the very least the code of conduct that is to be negotiated still, that the negotiations that will happen in the next few months or years should produce a substantive and effective code of conduct," Bolivar said in press briefing.
"The framework, again, is an outline. It helps structure the discussions, negotiations, eventually for the code of conduct," Bolivar added.
Code of conduct framework was a major step towards the realization of an effective code.
Atleast 27 countries gather here for the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings from Aug. 2 to 8.
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