Conference Center, Far Eastern Federal University
Russky Island, Vladivostok
09 September 2012

President Benigno S. Aquino III met with Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Tun Abdul Najib Razak at the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Russky Island, Vladivostok.

According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, the talk of the two leaders broadly covered such topics like economic and defense cooperation, investment and trade, the West Philippine Sea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Sec. Del Rosario said there are trade and investment initiatives in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong and so the Philippines will try to move among these opportunities in terms of enhancing bilateral trade with Malaysia.

President Aquino expressed his gratitude to Malaysia in being the facilitator to the Government of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH-MILF) peace negotiations. There’s also optimism and an expectation between the two leaders that the peace process could be finalized in the next couple of months.

On the West Philippine Sea dispute, both leaders expressed the need to be able to adopt a common position together in terms of supporting to forward the movement of the Code of Conduct, which was agreed upon by member nations of the ASEAN.

The Philippines and Malaysia, along with China, Brunei, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims to areas of the West Philippine Sea.

Present at the meeting from the Malaysian side were Foreign Affairs Minister Dato’ Sri Anifa Haji Aman, Ministry of Industry and International Trade Secretary General Dr. Rebecca Fatima, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Mohammed Kamal Yan and Ambassador Zainol Abdin Oman.