By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MANILA – The European Union described the agreement inked by the Philippines and Indonesia on the delimitation of their overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the Mindanao Sea and Celebes Sea as “a positive example of a peaceful and cooperative solution of a maritime dispute in accordance with international law.”
“The agreement attests to the commitment of the partners to engage in a consultative process of dispute settlement based on equality and mutual respect, and is a significant contribution to a rules-based regional community,” the spokesperson of the EU External Action Service (EEAS) said.
The Philippines and Indonesia signed the agreement on May 23 in Manila after 20 years of negotiation.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the agreement on the EEZ boundary was reached on the basis of international law including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the state practice and decisions of international tribunals on maritime boundary delimitation.
The agreed EEZ boundary line defines the limits of the sea space in the southern Philippines.
It gives fishermen from the Philippines and Indonesia and other stakeholders a clear extent of the area where they can exercise the sovereign rights over the waters as provided for by national laws and treaties including the 1982 UNCLOS.
The EEZ boundary will enhance the efforts of government agencies to enforce fishing, maritime and security laws, DFA said.
The agreement is a milestone for Philippines-Indonesia relations as it will open opportunities for closer cooperation in the preservation and protection of the rich marine environment in the area, increase trade and enhance maritime security, it added/PN
