MANILA – The Italian parliament has sought the Philippines' assistance in getting a full picture of the situation in the South China Sea (SCS) as Rome charts its own Indo-Pacific strategy.
At the public hearing of the Italian Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Foreign Policy for the Indo-Pacific on July 10, Philippine Ambassador to Rome Neal Imperial delivered his intervention as the sole envoy invited to the latest hearing.
The inquiry is part of the fact-finding investigation of the larger Committee on Foreign and European Union Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies that aims to establish the foundation for Italy’s strategy in the region.
In his remarks, the envoy said the South China Sea has become “central to our northern neighbor’s maritime power projection,” an apparent reference to China, which has increasingly become assertive in the area.
Without directly naming China, Imperial said it “has embarked on a massive land reclamation and construction of artificial islands with military installations, and structures, causing enormous ecological damage to coral reefs, and destabilizing the region.”
“As a vital international trade and communication waterway, it is in Italy's and Europe's interests that freedom of navigation and overflight is guaranteed in the South China Sea and that the rules-based order must prevail in the region as a foundation for peace and stability,” Imperial said.
The envoy also proposed that the 2016 Arbitral Award, which was based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and is now part of international law, be integrated into Italy’s future Indo-Pacific strategy as a tool for upholding the rule of law.
"We welcome Italy’s interest in charting its own Indo-Pacific strategy. We expect Italy, as a major stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific, to support the rule of law and a rules-based order in our region," he said.
The envoy said the Philippines is hopeful to see more high-level visits from Italian officials to Southeast Asia.
On the bilateral front, he said the Philippines takes note of Italy’s intention to participate in the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization and looks forward to the early conclusion of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense cooperation.
“We hope that through the MOU, the Philippines and Italy will have a closer defense and security cooperation that goes beyond just procurement, but also involves training, the establishment of defense dialogue, joint exercises, and perhaps even a status of visiting forces agreement,” he said.
Committee president Congressman Paolo Formentini, for his part, said the embassy has made a “fundamental contribution” to the parliament’s work and noted that he too is aware of “how dangerous and risky” the situation in the Spratly Islands or the Kalayaan Island Group.
He also mentioned China’s previous actions that prevented the country from supplying its troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal.
“So, tension is very high, there was initial physical damage to a Filipino sailor, who lost a finger in these incidents,” he said.
“We know that the bishops of the Philippines have called for a prayer for peace because the situation is so tense, so we all want peace, we want free and open Indo-Pacific, and we want coastal states not to be threatened in their sovereignty. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening,” he added.
Formentini said they take note of the Philippines' appeal for Italy to contribute to a rules-based order in the region and to take part in joint exercises. (PNA)
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