ROMULO, WIRAJUDA AGREE ON STRONGER, BROADER PHILIPPINE-INDONESIA
PARTNERSHIP FOR ENVIRONMENT, DEMOCRACY 

 19 November 2007 SINGAPORE – Foreign Affairs Secretary Dr. Alberto G. Romulo and Foreign Minister Dr. N.  Hassan Wirajuda agreed to further strengthen and broaden Philippine-Indonesia partnership for the environment and democracy during a meeting at the sidelines of the 13^th  ASEAN Summit here.  Secretary Romulo expressed Philippine support for Indonesia’s hosting of the UN Framework  Convention on Climate Change Meetings in Bali in December and in widening cooperation between developed and developing nations to address climate change.  Secretary Romulo likewise reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to continue working with Indonesia and other regional stakeholders in fora such as the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area to further advance the Coral Triangle Initiative which aims to protect the largest area for marine biological diversity on the planet.  On democracy, Secretary Romulo and Minister Wirajuda emphasized the need to support efforts in the region to broaden democratic spaces, particularly through participation in governance. END

/Gary