I joined the special foreign ministers meeting of the Security Council on 31 October 2005, upon the invitation of the President of the Security Council that is Romania, where we deliberated and voted on an important resolution. This was Resolution 1636, where, by a vote of 15-0, we adopted a resolution that seeks justice for the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the killing of 20 others.  I stated our position before the Council and I hope you have copies of my statement.

We have vital interests at stake in helping to resolve this issue.  Justice for former Prime Minister Hariri and the other victims are critical to the peace and stability of Lebanon in particular, and the Middle East in general.  The safety of our workers there and the issue of the volatile price of oil rely heavily on such peace and stability.  That is why the peace and stability in this region is very important.

At the sidelines of the Security Council meeting, I had the occasion to meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Al-Shara.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was seated beside me in the Security Council, reiterated his best regards to our country and our people and to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  As you will recall, just last September, President Arroyo presided at the UN Security Council Summit and made history, and carried on with the excellent tradition of deep Philippine involvement in the United Nations at that chamber.  As you know, there were two important Resolutions that were passed there unanimously: the first was the Resolution on Inciting to Terrorism, and the second is the Prevention of Conflict throughout the world, particularly in Africa.

In my brief talks with Secretary Rice, I gave Secretary Rice an update on the recent gains of the Philippines in the war on terrorism, particularly in the context of RP-US cooperation in building our own capacity to fight terror.  These recent successes against terrorism include:

· Conviction and sentencing to death last week of two Abu Sayyaf members (Filipinos Gamal "Tapay" Baharan and Angelo Trinidad) and one Jemaah Islamiyah member (Indonesian Rohmat Abdurrohim) for this year’s Valentine’s Day Bombing.
· Arrest last week of Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) leader Hilarion del Rosario Santos III alias Ahmed Islam and seven others.

o To be charged with April 2000 kidnapping of 21 mostly foreign tourists from Sipadan.
o Planning to do Bali-like bombing of Manila tourist area, but larger, with 1,000-kilo explosive.
o Set up terrorist training camps in their family's farm and amassed huge stockpile of explosives.
o Linked to Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and Jemaah Islamiyah members Dulmatin and Umar Patek. Dulmatin is suspected of masterminding the Bali bombings.

· Major strides in MILF peace process are isolating terrorists in Mindanao.
· Ceasefire agreement with Revolutionary Party of Workers in Mindanao, a breakaway faction of the New People's Army (NPA).
· Reinvigorated APEC cooperation as Chair of Counter-Terrorism Task Force.
· Led UN counter-terrorism efforts as Chair of UNSC 1566 Committee.
· Historic Interfaith Summit chaired by President as important global means to fighting terrorism by building greater peace, understanding and tolerance.

I also met with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Al-Shara who assured me of Syria’s determination to maintaining close and friendly relations with the Philippines.  I would like to note that while Syria felt that Resolution 1636 was not necessary, it would cooperate completely with the Mehlis investigation.

Before going to New York, I also passed by Washington where I conferred with Ambassador John Negroponte, Director for National Intelligence.  We also discussed our recent successes in the war on terror. In addition, we discussed the recent developments in the Philippines, as well as recent Philippine gains in fiscal reforms, the economy, the peace process and reconciliation. Secretary Negroponte expressed appreciation for the briefing and reiterated the determination of the United States to further strengthen bilateral relations and its support for the democratic leadership of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Like any close partners, the Philippines and the United States brief each other on policies and developments on matters that are of mutual interest.  In fact, I met Secretary Negroponte last May and with Secretary Rice last September, and since I was going to the United Nations Security Council for this important meeting on the Syria issue, it was an opportune time to meet with our allies.
 

VIETNAM VISIT

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has emphasized the importance of our relations with our neighbors in the ASEAN.

On this trip, we will continue to pursue the President’s foreign policy agenda and address key bilateral issues during my visit to Vietnam, the Philippines’ neighbor, long-time friend, and active partner.

In Hanoi, I will co-chair with Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien the 4th Meeting of the Philippines – Vietnam Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC).

This 4th Philippines – Vietnam JCBC is an important opportunity to take stock of the progress of our initiatives with Vietnam, discuss ways to move them forward and identify new activities for areas of cooperation.   As you know, we have the Joint Seismic Undertaking with Vietnam and with China, and this is a very important issue. We have converted a sea of conflict into an area of cooperation.  Also, it should be noted that we are entering the 30th year of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Vietnam, so this Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation is a very important meeting.

We hope to generate Vietnam’s keen interest in strengthening our cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, security and defense, and maritime and ocean matters.

We will seek to sustain and intensify trade between the Philippines and Vietnam which, from 2003 to 2004, registered an impressive growth rate of 150%.  Among others, we will look into the prospects of new products and the services sectors as well as the possibilities of expanding Philippine businesses in Vietnam.  We have important business ventures by our Filipino entrepreneurs in Vietnam.

As our economy gains vigor, we must be prepared to deepen and expand engagements in trade with our partners.

We will also discuss ways of enhancing security and defense cooperation, such as establishing lines of communication, promoting exchanges between officials and personnel, and sharing intelligence information and experiences.

We hope to increase both our nations’ capabilities to address and respond to the evolving security and defense situation in the region.

In addition to the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the South China Sea, we also would like to build on the significant gains made after the signing and implementation of the JOMSRE, or the Joint Oceanographic and Marine Research Expedition.

As always, I hope to keep the media updated on our activities and achievements.

Thank you.