Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (right) and Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert Del Rosario 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert Del Rosario made a comprehensive review of the bilateral relationship since the previous meeting held in Manila in October 2013 and the implementation of the Vietnam-Philippines action plan for 2011-2016. 

Expressing delight at their strengthened links across politics, economics-trade-investment, national defence-security, sea and ocean, agriculture, education and people-to-people exchange, they set sight on quality growth of the partnership through further facilitating visits and high-level exchanges. 

They agreed on a plan for the Presidents of the two countries to hold talks on the occasion of President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to the Philippines to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit slated for November. 

The two sides will also work together on a plan of celebrations for the 40 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year. 

On national defence-security cooperation, the Vietnamese side welcomed the Filipino Secretary of Defence’s planned visit to Vietnam in 2016. 

The two sides committed to effectively executing defence-security agreements while promptly conducting negotiations towards signing an agreement on extradition and hand-over of prisoners. 

Apart from information and experience sharing, the two countries are to further collaboration in fighting terrorism, cyber crimes and piracy, conducting search and rescue, and training officers for the United Nations peacekeeping activities. 

About economic link, host and guest agreed on a two-way trade target of 3 billion USD by 2016. They pledged to convene the second meeting of the sub-committees on trade cooperation while coordinating to make full use of advantages brought about by regional and international economic connections as well as sign a protocol amending the bilateral rice trade agreement for 2014-2016. 

The two sides agreed to turn agriculture and fisheries into one of the strategic cooperative pillars, with initial focus to be geared toward rice cultivation and fisheries. 

Additional areas of coordination will be culture, education-training, transport, science-technology and environment. 

Turning to sea and ocean engagements, they shared the view that cooperation mechanisms in the field, particularly the deputy ministerial-level Inter-Committee on Sea and Ocean, have contributed to the Vietnam-Philippines partnership. 

The two sides said they will coordinate to handle issues related to fishermen and vessels in an humanitarian and friendship manner. 

On the multilateral aspect, they said they are satisfied with the bilateral cooperation at regional and global forums, especially within the ASEAN framework. 

They promised to work closely together and with other partners to successfully build the ASEAN Community, and at the same time upholding ASEAN’s central role in settling regional security issues. 

The two officials reiterated the significance of ensuring peace, stability, security, navigation and aviation freedom and safety in the East Sea as well as settling disputes at sea in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, towards formulating a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. 

The ninth meeting will be held in the Philippines in 2017. 

During a press conference following the meeting, Deputy PM Minh said the two countries have reached a high political trust via the regular exchange of visits while economic, trade, national defence-security ties have made substantial progress. 

Rosario, for his part, said the Philippines vows to work with Vietnam in the framework of the ASEAN and other multilateral forums to contribute to the regional and global development. 

He added that Vietnam is an important partner in supplying rice to the Philippines.

PM greets Philippine foreign minister

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung hailed the working visit to Vietnam by Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario as a pragmatic contribution to enhancing the sound cooperative ties between the two countries.

At a meeting in Hanoi on October 21 with the secretary, the Government leader said Vietnam and the Philippines have friendly ties as neighbours and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), thus sharing mutual interests in the East Sea and responsibilities in building a strong and prosperous ASEAN Community.

He reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of sparing no effort to work alongside the Philippines to enhance the bilateral collaboration in a deep, inclusive, and effective fashion.

In this spirit, PM Nguyen Tan Dung called on the two countries to increase all-level delegation exchanges and further bolster economic links, especially in rice trading, investment and tourism.

He recommended cooperating in other fields such as fisheries, science-technology, culture, security, defence, and people-to-people exchanges, and confirmed that the Vietnamese Government will creates propitious conditions for Philippine businesses to make long-term and effective investment in Vietnam.

For his part, Albert del Rosario said the Philippines attaches great importance to cooperation with Vietnam across the fields, noting that during the 8th session of the bilateral cooperation committee, the two sides reached important consensus as well as bilateral cooperation deals, particularly in economics, sea and ocean, fisheries, security-defence, and people-to-people exchanges.

The diplomat expressed his deep concern over the complicated developments in the East Sea. He said using or threatening to use force is not a solution to addressing the East Sea issue.

Any disputes must be solved via peaceful means and on the ground of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he stressed.

He shared the view that involved parties need to implement earnestly the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and hold result-oriented negotiations to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as soon as possible for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

Also at the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue working together in handling violations of fishermen in the respective waters in the spirit of humanitarianism and the sound friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

VNA