AFP File photo
Indonesia President Joko Widodo said the situation in the South China Sea as well as trade will be among his discussion points with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his visit to Manila.
"The Philippines is an important partner of Indonesia. Many Indonesian defense equipment products are purchased by the Philippines and investment there is also quite significant,” the Indonesian leader known as Jokowi told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday before his departure.
Last April, the Philippines signed a contract to acquire six light aircraft from state-owned PT Dirgantara Indonesia for its air force.
Tensions in the South China Sea between the Philippines and China have flared up in recent months with ships from both countries facing off in the contested waters.
Ahead of the Jokowi-Marcos meeting, Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and her Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo met in Manila on Tuesday to discuss bilateral trade and regional affairs, including the South China Sea dispute and the Myanmar crisis.
"On South China Sea, Indonesia is ready to work together with all Asean member states, including the Philippines, to finalize the code of conduct as soon as possible,” Marsudi said in a briefing.
The code of conduct, which China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have been trying to hammer out for years, aims to avert conflict in the disputed waters.
Beijing lays sweeping claims over the waterway, including areas Southeast Asian nations Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam say are part of their territories.
