Manila, July 14 -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is fast-tracking discussions to conclude the highly anticipated Code of Conduct in the South China Sea by 2026, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said on Monday.

The COC, which had been under works for years, is set to provide a set of rules to manage tension in the disputed South China Sea.

Lazaro disclosed that separate rounds of negotiations are set to take place in the coming months to build on the progress reached in the talks held in Manila last April.

"Concerning the COC, it is our view and we are all working together to have the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct to be out by next year as mandated by the foreign ministers in 2023," she said in a media bri...