Italy’s “Centro Studi Internazionali” (Center for International Studies, or CeSI), in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy, successfully organized a Forum entitled “Le Relazioni Italia-Filippine: Una Prospettiva Marittima” (Philippine-Italian Relations: A Maritime Perspective) on 28 May 2014 at the Sala delle Bandiere of the European Parliament Building in Rome.

The forum, moderated by CeSI president Prof. Andrea Margelletti, featured the following resource persons to highlight the need for further strengthening maritime cooperation between the Philippines and Italy:

• Senator Pier Ferdinando Casini, Chair of the Italy’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee;
• Ambassador Andrea Perugini, Deputy Director General (Assistant Secretary) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Countries of Asia and Oceania;
• DFA Assistant Secretary Henry S. Bensurto, Secretary General of the West Philippine Sea Center; and
• Atty. Giuseppe Loffreda, Maritime Law Expert.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr. said that the Filipino people are historically a seafaring people. Being an archipelago, he said the sea plays a vital role in the cultural, political and economic life of all Filipinos since time immemorial.

“The sea is ingrained in the genetic makeup of the Filipino. Even today, in modern times, more than one-third of the seafarers/seamen worldwide are Filipinos. Such is our bond to the sea, and necessarily, to the laws of the sea,” said the Ambassor

Ambassador Reyes further said that the initiation of Arbitral Proceedings against China on its nine-dash line theory is an operationalization of President Aquino’s policy for a peaceful and rules-based resolution of disputes in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in accordance with international law, specifically the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

While the Philippines has proceeded with the legal track, Ambassador Reyes said the Philippines continuous to exert all efforts to move forward and enhance its relations with China on the basis of mutual respect.

During the forum, Senator Casini stressed the importance of complying with international maritime laws to be able to avoid doubts on the interpretation of their application and that they may be respected by all countries.

Senator Casini said this is particularly important in the light of growing tensions in the Far East where there is a claim on jurisdiction over water territories, which has impact on the liberty of navigation and commerce, i.e. fishing in particular.

He said the current regional instability that involves several countries like China, Philippines, Japan and Vietnam shall have to be resolved respecting international law and within the principle of peaceful collaboration among each country involved.

Ambassador Perugini said Italy and the Philippines are both concerned about security of the seas. He notes that the European Union has issued a declaration wherein the EU enjoins China and other countries to resolve the problem in the WPS peacefully.

Ambassador Perugini praised the maritime delimitation agreement reached by the Philippines and Indonesia and said that it could serve as a model for others. “This means that the tension in this area is not just one country against all the others but also the other countries involved among themselves,” said Ambassador Perugini.

Atty. Bensurto narrated the history and cause of tension/controversy in the WPS or South China Sea. He also distinguished the different areas of sovereignity over the seas from the land based on the UNCLOS.

While explaining the Philippine legal position before the UNCLOS Arbitral Tribunal, Atty. Bensurto stessed that a peaceful resolution of collaboration may be reached as evidenced in the maritime delimitation agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia.

Atty. Loffreda described how Filipino seafarers are preferred by Italian shipping complies to employed in Italian ships. He said that Italian flagships’ crews are composed of 80% foreigners, and that 35% of the ships’ seafarers are Filipinos. He said that Italy itself has opened seafarers’ seafarer training schools in the Philippines.

The Forum was organized by CeSI in consultation with the Italian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

Representatives from the ASEAN Committee in Rome, the Italian Defense and Foreign Ministries, Italian political science students, and public at large attended the forum.