Slovenia affirms support for 2016 Arbitral Ruling, solidarity in WPS

FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo taken by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the wide expanse of Escoda (Sabina) Shoal coveted by China within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of a historic first visit to the country, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon affirmed Slovenia’s support for the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea and called on states to abide by the 2016 Arbitral Award, a landmark ruling that firmly rejected Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea under its nine-dash line.

“I would like to express my solidarity with the Philippines in the face of challenges to security and international law in the South China Sea – or more precisely, in the West Philippine Sea. Slovenia is committed to international law and to the universal and unified character of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” she told the Philippine News Agency in an email.

She said Slovenia supports “the respect of international arbitral awards, including the 2016 Arbitral Award” and believes “it is imperative that all parties comply with the award as it is final and legally binding”.

“This is not just about the South China Sea; it is about the integrity of the international legal order and respect for the rulings of international tribunals in general. Slovenia understands this well from its own experience,” she said.

On July 12, 2016, the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention dismissed as illegal China’s so-called nine-dash-line, which covers and lays territorial claim over a huge portion of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

To this day, Beijing continues to reject the ruling.

As of January 2025, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative has identified 27 governments that have publicly supported the Arbitral Award, 17 that have issued generally positive statements noting the verdict but have stopped short of calling for the parties to abide by it, and eight that have publicly rejected it.

READ: EU, 16 member states reaffirm support for WPS arbitral ruling on 7th year

Fajon, who will be in Manila from March 10 to 12, is the first Slovenian foreign minister to visit the country.

She will pay a courtesy call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and hold a meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Fajon said tensions in the South China Sea on top of other key international issues, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, are also among the subject matters she is set to discuss with Manalo.

Slovenia was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term and has since played an active role in addressing all items on its agenda.

On the multilateral front, Fajon said there is also an opportunity to raise the region’s concern at a high-level event on maritime security during the Greek presidency of the Council in May. (