MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / June 27, 2013) – Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman arrived in Manila to meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations, including the convening of the 8th Joint Commission Meeting within the year.
The JCM, which will be hosted by Malaysia, is the main bilateral consultative mechanism between the Philippines and Malaysia.
Del Rosario has praised Malaysia’s commitment to the Philippine peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The two ministers also discussed cooperation in relation to the invasion of members of the Sulu sultanate in Lahad Datu town in Sabah, but details of this were not disclosed to the media.
They also talked about the Philippines’ approach to the South China Sea problems where the country and Malaysia are among those claiming either in whole or partial the scattered islands in the area believed to contain a huge oil and gas deposits.
Both have expressed support for the expeditious beginning of negotiations on the Code of Conduct, which will be taken up at the forthcoming 46th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brunei Darussalam.
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