The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, Mr Perfecto R.Yasay Jr. made a statement at the ASEM Summit on July 15. In his statement, the Secretary emphasized the importance of a balanced treatment of the three pillars of the Asia-Europe Meeting: the political, the economic, and the socio-cultural pillars.

The Secretary stated that the Philippines welcomes the issuance of the arbitral Award on the South China Sea, and reiterated the Philippines' respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea.