IT has been agreed upon by the Philippines and Indonesia to collaborate in reinforcing their relationship in defense, security, trade, and infrastructure development.
In his opening statement during a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. emphasized the need for unity between the Philippines and Indonesia to face the current challenges in the region.
“As like-minded developing nations, the Philippines and Indonesia both aspire for the ASEAN to be— for ASEAN commonality that is peaceful, stable, and prosperous.”
“As neighbors, we must remain united in addressing the many challenges that our region now faces,” according to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
Widodo, for his part, pledged Indonesia’s firm collaboration with the Philippines in these areas.
“I’m delighted about positive progress about implementation of our two countries’ action plan which need to be followed up with concrete steps to strengthen collaboration, especially in two areas of cooperation,” Pres. Joko Widodo, Republic of Indonesia stated.
Widodo expressed satisfaction with the strengthening of cooperation in border security, including the need to expedite the revision of the 1975 Border Crossing Agreement and Border Patrol Agreement, as well as discussions on adjusting continental boundaries.
The Indonesian President also sought President Marcos’s support for the Philippines’ purchase of new naval assets from Indonesia.
On the economic front, Widodo assured that Indonesia is committed to keeping market access open for Philippine agricultural products.
Widodo also sought President Marcos’s support to expedite the groundbreaking of the North-South Commuter Railway Project, a joint venture between Indonesia and the Philippines.
PH-Indonesia to cooperate in Political and Security Matters to Enhance relations
Meanwhile, both leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in political and security matters between the two nations, particularly the recently-concluded Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation or JCBC, led by the foreign ministers of the Philippines and Indonesia.
The JCBC serves as the primary mechanism for discussions between the Philippines and Indonesia to review progress in mutual collaboration initiatives.
One such initiative is the implementation of the bilateral priorities outlined in the Philippines-Indonesia Plan of Action 2022-2027.
“Advancements have been made on several action points in the JCBC’s Plan of Action which was signed on 5 September 2022 during my State Visit to Indonesia,” added President Marcos.
The said Plan of Action covers various aspects of cooperation in politics and security, border issues, regional and global issues, economic cooperation, sociocultural and people-to-people exchange, as well as judicial and consular matters between the Philippines and Indonesia.
South China Sea discussed during Marcos-Widodo meet
Following their meeting, Marcos said that he and his Indonesian counterpart had a fruitful and honest discussion on regional events, including the South China Sea issue and the close cooperation among ASEAN member states.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“And speaking of ASEAN, as founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), the Philippines and Indonesia affirmed our insistence on the universality of UNCLOS, which sets out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and in the seas,” President Marcos said.
