Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Binh held talks with Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jose Almendras in Hanoi on April 11, during which they reaffirmed the importance of obeying international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Binh (R) and Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jose Almendras.

They emphasised the need to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), step up negotiations to early reach a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), avoid actions that complicate the situation, and not use or threaten to use violence.

The role of ASEAN in maintaining peace, stability, security, and maritime and navigation safety and freedom in the East Sea is also important, they stressed.

At the talks, the two sides discussed measures to implement contents of the bilateral Strategic Partnership established in November 2015.

To step up cooperation in politics, economics, defence, agriculture, culture and education, they agreed to maintain regular delegation exchanges, actively carry out existing agreements and mechanisms, including an agreement on maritime and fishery cooperation, an agreement on cultural cooperation and the Vietnam–Philippines Bilateral Cooperation Committee.

Both host and guest agreed to coordinate closely to organise activities marking the 40 th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties in 2016 in order to tighten the bilateral relations and improve people’s understanding of each nation.

They also affirmed to support the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2017 and Vietnam’s hosting of APEC 2017, while pledging to work with other ASEAN nations to promote the central role of ASEAN in regional cooperation and its voice in strategic security issues in the region.

VNA