The Philippines and Australia have expressed hopes that AUKUS—a trilateral cooperation among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with other regional alliances, would bolster security in the Indo-Pacific region.
This sentiment arose after Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual and Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farell met on Tuesday in Adelaide, Australia to build on the strengthened bilateral partnership.
Expressing commitment to achieve an “open, stable and prosperous” region, Philippines and Australia reaffirmed their stand to preserve peace by recognizing that the region’s stability depends on respect for all countries’ sovereignty and the international law.
“Australia and the Philippines committed to work in partnership to preserve and strengthen an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order, governed by international law,” the officials said in a joint statement.
“Ministers and Secretaries reaffirmed the need for all countries to promote open channels of communication and practical measures to reduce risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation and prevent conflict in our region,” they added.
Manila and Canberra are counting on various alliances to achieve such aspirations. They include AUKUS; Quad, a strategic security dialogue among Australia, India, Japan and the US; and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“The two countries agreed to reinforce our extensive and long-standing defence and security cooperation, supported by the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Program, and looked forward to the positive contribution the AUKUS trilateral security partnership will make to regional balance and the collective security of the region,” the joint statement stressed.
“Both countries recognized the importance of an inclusive ASEAN-led architecture for regional peace, stability and prosperity. They welcomed the Quad’s steadfast support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo–Pacific, and its positive and practical agenda to support the priorities and needs of regional countries,” they said.
The officials also acknowledged that the Philippines and Australia were both maritime nations, so the two countries must ensure that maritime safety and security and the freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with appropriate laws are respected.
“[The] Ministers and Secretaries tasked officials to develop additional arrangements to strengthen cooperation on maritime issues,” the statement stated.