Taipei and Manila are still seeking to sign an agreement to cooperate on law enforcement in fishery matters in their overlapping economic waters as soon as possible, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Asked about progress toward such a pact, ministry spokesperson Anna Kao (??) said that both countries hope the agreement will be signed as soon as possible, without providing an estimated timetable.
In an effort to accelerate the process, a group of Taiwanese officials visited the Philippines last month to conduct negotiations on related issues with their Philippine counterparts, she added.
The two sides discussed issues such as the scope of law enforcement by the respective authorities and bilateral channels of communication, she added.
Earlier this month, Manila Economic and Culture Office Managing Director Antonio Basilio said he was optimistic that the agreement would be signed soon.
Last month, he said the pact could be signed by the end of this month.
The agreement covers a consensus reached by the two nations to refrain from the use of force or violence when patrolling fishing grounds, to establish a mechanism for informing each other in the event of a fishery incident and to release detained fishermen and boats as soon as possible.
Taiwan and the Philippines have been negotiating the pact since late 2013 one of a series of steps taken to improve relations after Philippine Coast Guard officers opened fire on a Taiwanese commercial fishing boat on May 9, 2013, in waters where the two nations’ exclusive economic zones overlap, killing a Taiwanese fisherman.
The agreement also is to include the establishment of a working group of officials from the two countries who would deal with remaining issues and seek consensus, Kao said.
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