Philippine official: COC agreement expected in November

 Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo said on June 5 that Asian countries will likely agree on a code of conduct for the East Sea (COC) when regional leaders meet for a summit in November, the online newspaper nikkei.com reported.

Manalo made the statement at a panel on achievements and challenges of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under the framework of the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan.

ASEAN should become a model for the peaceful management and resolution of disputes as well as effective regional integration, he was quoted by nikkei.com as saying. 

Previously, ASEAN and China officials finished negotiations on a draft framework of COC in Guizhou, China on May 18, which will be submitted to the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting. The approval of the draft framework is the first step for the following negotiation process on building COC document, contributing to maintaining regional peace and stability.-VNA