Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo (PNA file photo by Avito Dalan)
MANILA — The Philippine government reiterated that the ASEAN Five Point Consensus remains the viable solution to addressing the Myanmar crisis.
Speaking at the recent ASEAN-European Union Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said all actions must be aligned with the ASEAN mechanism.
“[H]e emphasized the importance of all actions being in line with the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and that engagement should complement and support ASEAN’s efforts, and should be coordinated with the Chair through the Special Envoy,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a readout on Wednesday.
The five-point consensus serves as ASEAN’s guidance in responding to the Myanmar crisis, which calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar; exercise of utmost restraint from all parties; a constructive dialogue to seek a peaceful solution; and humanitarian assistance as priorities.
The United Nations said the human rights situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate and is now “in freefall” three years after the military deposed its elected government.
During the ASEAN-EU meet, Manalo also welcomed the appointment of Alounkeo Kittikhoun as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar for 2024.
He said the Philippines would continue to support efforts to address the crisis, including Thailand’s initiative to provide enhanced humanitarian aid.
Manalo co-chaired the 24th ASEAN-European Union Ministerial Meeting (24th AEMM) last Feb. 2 as the Philippines serves as the current ASEAN country coordinator for ASEAN-EU Relations.
The AEMM was attended by foreign ministers and representatives from all 10 ASEAN and all 27 EU member states.
In the same meeting, Manalo also also highlighted the “vibrant cooperation” between ASEAN and the EU on Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-cultural areas.
He thanked the bloc for its support in promoting maritime domain awareness through the CRIMARIO IORIS and COPERNICUS programs.
Manalo said these two initiatives are among the EU's concrete contributions to promoting maritime safety and security not only for the Philippines but also for the ASEAN region. (PNA)
