Phl to hold bilateral talks with Vietnam, India

PHNOM PENH – President Aquino will hold two bilateral meetings in the Cambodian capital when he attends the 21st Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and related summits.

Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras told a news briefing at Landscape Hotel Aquino’s meetings with Vietnam and India have already been scheduled.

“The bilateral meetings with the Philippines will only be with Vietnam,” he said.

“There’s a pull aside (meeting) with India. It’s quite late but India has been quite persistent in requesting for that bilateral.”

Vietnam, a  claimant in the West Philippine Sea, agrees with the Philippine stand that territorial claims should be decided multilaterally and within the bounds of international law in contrast to China’s bilateral approach.

Aquino is scheduled to visit India in December before Christmas.

Earlier, Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman, said no bilateral meeting with Aquino has been scheduled before he left Manila.

Arrangements may be made during the ASEAN meeting, he added.

Almendras said the dialogue is between ASEAN and specific countries like ASEAN-China, ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN-US.

“So that forms part of the 10 opportunities to speak,” he said. Almendras said Aquino was looking forward to attending the sub-meetings, if he can make it.