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Ma urges early resolution to dispute with Philippines

ROC Central News Agency

2013/05/18 23:17:53

Taipei, May 18 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that an ongoing row between Taiwan and the Philippines over the May 9 shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters should be resolved as soon as possible, emphasizing that a joint investigation is needed, according to Garfie Li, spokeswoman of the Presidential Office.

Ma made the comment at a National Security Council meeting convened with several officials from relevant government agencies to discuss the ongoing row with Manila over the recent shooting.

The meeting came on the same day when a Taiwanese investigation team returned from Manila. The team tried to set up a joint investigation with the Philippine government, but was snubbed and failed to reach a consensus with Manila.

Ma said Taiwan and the Philippines have to jointly look into the incident in a pragmatic way in order to find out the truth behind the shooting and this is also a good time to put into practice a mutual judicial assistance agreement signed by the two sides in April.

Ma asked the justice and foreign ministries to continue negotiating with Manila to resolve the issue.

Li said Taiwan's government felt deep regret over the fact that the Taiwanese investigation team was snubbed by the Philippine government during their stay in Manila.

Taiwan will send an investigation team again 'after the Philippine side is prepared,' Ma said.

Meanwhile, Li said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will set up an ad hoc team, with immediate effect, to deal with responses from the international community to issues related to the Philippine shooting that caused the death of a Taiwanese fisherman.

In response to media speculation that Philippines former President Fidel V. Ramos has been tipped to serve as the special envoy to Taiwan to handle the case, Li declined to comment on a hypothetical issue.

She said the government will not comment until the Philippines side has made a decision.

(By Lee Shu-hua, Elaine Hou and Jamie Wang)
ENDITEM/cs