MANILA: The Philippines and China have formed a panel to study ways of jointly exploring energy resources in the disputed part of the South China Sea.
“It’s a technical working group that will study the possibility of joint oil and gas cooperation. What they will look into is if they can come to some arrangement that will be acceptable to both sides not giving up their claims,” Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana told Arab News.
The panel was formed during the second meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in Manila on Tuesday.
Both sides agreed to continue discussions on confidence-building measures to increase trust and confidence and to exercise restraint in activities in the South China Sea that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability.
A joint statement released after the meeting said that there was a productive exchange of views on ways to strengthen cooperation in areas such as marine environmental protection, fisheries, marine scientific research and oil and gas, without prejudicing respective positions on sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.
Sta. Romana said that the panel had its initial meeting on the same day. It is comprised of representatives from the Philippines’ Department of Energy and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It’s the start of a process,” Sta. Romana said, as he admitted that a joint exploration in the disputed waters was a “complex issue” that required thoroughly looking into ways to proceed without having to address the issue of sovereignty.
“The most significant thing is that the two sides are talking about it, but what the result will be is hard to say,” he said.
“Both sides will have to exchange ideas,” Sta. Romana further said. “It’s complicated. There are many sensitive issues. So, how to come to a mutually acceptable arrangement that will satisfy both sides and the legal aspects, that’s what they will be working on, but at least we’re talking.”
DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano reiterated the Duterte administration’s commitment to protect the country’s claim on the disputed territories in the South China Sea.
“The Duterte administration is unwavering in its commitment to protect our country’s territorial claims and maritime entitlements. Let me also say that we are of the position that ongoing territorial disputes should be resolved in a manner consistent with the spirit of good neighborly relations and the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” he said.
Cayetano said the Philippine side raised its territorial claims and sovereignty rights issues, and discussed how to manage and prevent incidents on the ground.
“Both sides expressed their countries’ respective positions on the ongoing territorial disputes. While there are points of disagreement, both delegations are in agreement that the best way forward is to cooperate and properly manage issues of mutual concern and preserve security and stability in the region,” he said.
The DFA official was not optimistic that joint exploration could ease tensions in the South China Sea. “You have to combine optimism and caution here,” he said.
Philippines, China working out joint oil exploration in South China Sea
Philippines, China working out joint oil exploration in South China Sea
Greece warns shipping fleet of risks after Black Sea drone attacks
- Greek-operated ships are among the world’s largest fleets of tankers and are pivotal for trade across the Black Sea region
- War insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black Sea have jumped this week
ATHENS: Greece has warned its shipping fleet to review their security measures when sailing to Russian Black Sea ports after drone attacks on two Greek-operated tankers this week, according to shipping ministry adviseries.
Drones struck two oil tankers on Tuesday, including one chartered by US oil major Chevron, as they sailed toward a Black Sea terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Greek-operated ships are among the world’s largest fleets of tankers and are pivotal for trade across the Black Sea region, whose waters are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkiye, as well as warring Russia and Ukraine.
“It is recommended that the security managers of shipping companies, the masters and the security officers of Greek ships proceed with an updated threat assessment for commercial ships located in the Black Sea and the maritime areas close to it,” the shipping ministry said in one of the documents seen by Reuters that were issued after the attacks.
War insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black Sea have jumped this week, reflecting the worsening risk environment.
One of the tankers targeted on Tuesday was Matilda, which was managed by Greece’s Thenamaris and hit by two drones.
While there were no injuries or serious damage to the vessel, a Thenamaris official said that the company had since then stepped up additional precautionary security measures and advised crew on their vessels to increase vigilance and avoid unnecessary exposure, mainly movement on the deck.
The ministry referred shipping companies to an earlier document published in April 2022 that recommended that additional protective security measures be maintained for a certain period as a result of increased risk for the Russian Black Sea ports of Novorossiysk, Taman, Tuapse and Kavkaz.
