President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Indonesia President Joko Widodo signed on Monday, Sept. 5, four agreements on cultural cooperation, defense and security, and economy.
The agreements include:
The Plan of Action between the Philippines and Indonesia from 2022 until 2027.
The Renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding of Indonesia and Philippines in Cultural Cooperation
The Renewal of the 1997 Agreement of Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security, and;
The Memorandum of Understanding of the Development and Promotion of Creative Economy
President Widodo proposed the revitalization of the Ro-Ro shipping routes between Bitung and Davao, the reopening of the Manado-Davao flight route, and strengthening the infrastructure and strategic industries.
Marcos and Widodo also agreed on the acquisition of aircraft and maritime assets for the Philippines from Indonesia.
Widodo also mentioned strengthening border cooperation and vowed for a swift negotiation on delimitation of Continental Shelf Base in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Widodo also stressed the importance of strengthening Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) centrality and unity.
“Indonesia wishes to ensure that ASEAN remains an engine of peace, stability, peace, and prosperity in the region. ASEAN must be able to address the challenges ahead and strengthen respect for the ASEAN Charter,” he added.
“And we agreed that ASEAN is going to be the lead agent in the changes that we would like to see in continuing to bring peace to our countries,” Marcos said. –With reports from Allan Francisco and Katrina Gracia Consebido – gb
