ASEAN ministers to meet with Tillerson in May

MANILA, Philippines — Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, along with his Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) counterparts, will head to Washington early May for a meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The ASEAN-US foreign ministers meeting has been confirmed, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said Wednesday.

"Lahat po ng ASEAN foreign ministers will meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The meeting is confirmed," Bolivar said in a televised press conference.

The details of the meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers and Tillerson are yet to be finalized, according to Bolivar.

"Inaayos pa po 'yung agenda. In fact 'yung exact timing nung meeting but it's sometime in early May," Bolivar said.

Asked if the Philippines will raise the South China Sea dispute during the ASEAN-US meeting, Bolivar said that the issue will be raised at the proper time.

Bolivar stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte and Manalo have already the clarified the country's interests with respect to the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea.

"We cannot really commit to any particular date but it will be raised at the proper time and definitely going into negotiations on the framework and eventually the Code of Conduct (in the South China Sea). The primary consideration of the delegation of the Philippines is the national interest," Bolivar said.

On the other hand, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies released a joint communique and called on all concerned parties to put a stop to the militarization in the South China Sea.

The G7 ministers maintained its commitment to a rules-based maritime order based on international law in resolving the maritime dispute.

"We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions which increase tensions, such as the threat or use of force, large-scale land reclamation, building of outposts, as well as their use for military purposes and urge all parties to pursue demilitarization of disputed features and to comply with their obligations under international law," the G7 ministers said.