Manila, Philippines is set to be the venue of regional maritime forums- the “Third ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) and First Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) to be held on October 3 to 5, 2012.

Manila, Philippines is set to be the venue of regional maritime forums- the “Third ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) and First Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) to be held on October 3 to 5, 2012.

Cross-cutting maritime issues in Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be discussed for the first time in the AMF. The participants of the forum are members of East Asia Summit (EAS), which includes the 10 ASEAN member-countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. The said topic will be in accordance to the goal of promoting maritime cooperation among ASEAN Political Security Community.

Meanwhile, the participants of the expanded forum will come from the government, private-sector stakeholders and academe.

The said forums will follow instructions from the 6th East Asia Summit where EAS Leaders points out the necessity of promoting maritime cooperation that includes sea piracy, search at sea, marine environment, maritime security, maritime connectivity, freedom of navigation, fisheries and other areas of cooperation.

Erlinda F. Basilio, the Philippines' Senior Official to ASEAN and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy said, “The Philippines is privileged to host the third AMF and the first EAMF. Both of them serve as important platforms for dialogue and cooperation on maritime issues in the region. The Philippines believes that countries in the region face common challenges that require collaborative approaches."

The Undersecretary further emphasized, "Because East Asia has assumed a significant role in sustaining global economic growth, it is important for countries to work together to ensure that we have a safe, secure, environmentally-sound and connected seas that support our growth, economic integration and long-term stability."