President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed matters about the West Philippine Sea during a recent phone call this week, according to a Malacañang on Thursday.
During their conversation on Wednesday, Marcos informed Macron that the Philippine government is diligently working “to uphold peace, ensure stability, and keep the shipping lanes and airways open” in the West Philippine Sea, as stated by the Presidential Communications Office.
Marcos expressed his gratitude to France for their steadfast support in upholding shared values and international law, particularly referencing UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), and acknowledged the significance of messages of support and the dispatch of French vessels for patrol efforts.
Despite a 2016 international court ruling deeming China’s sovereignty claims over almost the entire South China Sea, including portions of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as lacking legal basis, China continues to assert its stance.
As part of ongoing initiatives to fortify Philippine-France bilateral relations and collaboration, a delegation of French ministers is slated to visit the country before year-end, as announced by the Palace.
Marcos highlighted that this visit would provide an opportunity for both sides to operationalize discussions held during the 10th Philippine-France Joint Economic Meeting in June.
During this event, many French entrepreneurs engaged with our ministers, as well as local business representatives.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 28, 2023
