Singapore calls for upholding the rule of law to resolve issues in the East Sea

Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam recently called for maintaining the rule of law to resolve issues related to the East Sea.

Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (left) and his host country counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (right) during a three-day state visit to the Philippines. (Source: Reuters)

The Singaporean leader made the call during a three-day state visit to the Philippines after talks with his host counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang.

For his part, Mr. Marcos stressed that the South China Sea is a common interest of the Philippines and Singapore and he looked forward to having the opportunity to reaffirm the Philippines' commitment to "promoting peace, security and stability in the region", as well as expressing strong support for the peaceful resolution of all disputes related to this sea route.

Mr. Shanmugaratnam also reiterated that the disputes in the South China Sea are “an extremely important issue. Of course, Singapore’s position is always to support the freedom of navigation and overflight of all countries and to strongly support the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). That is the fundamental principle. UNCLOS must be the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas.”

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/singapore-keu-goi-duy-tri-phap-quyen-de-giai-quyet-cac-van-de-tai-bien-dong-283055.html