He told visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during their
meeting in Hanoi on September 29 that Vietnam will create the best
possible conditions for Philippine investors in agriculture, food
processing, services and tourism.
The leader suggested the Philippine side facilitate Vietnamese
investments infrastructure, oil and gas exploitation, mining and
services in the country.
He urged the two sides to continue their close cooperation in rice trade via the Governmental level Rice Trade Agreement.
Vietnam stands ready to provide rice for the Philippines in the long
term, helping the country ensure food security, the PM noted, proposing
the two countries soon expand the memorandum of understanding on rice
trade for 2017-2020.
He also suggested enhancing the bilateral collaboration in other spheres like culture, tourism, transport and fisherman affairs.
“Vietnam and the Philippines should step up their affiliation across
fields in a more pragmatic and effective fashion, particularly in
national defence, security, trade, investment, as well as at regional
and international forums,” PM Phuc said.
In the realm of politics-diplomacy, the leader stressed the maintenance
of all-level delegation exchanges and existing cooperation mechanisms,
while increasing people-to-people exchanges.
He called for conducting joint patrols and carrying forward the Joint
Committee on Sea and Ocean Cooperation at deputy foreign ministerial
level , and the group of legal experts within the framework of the
committee.
“Vietnam is willing to work with the Philippines in the fight against
drugs and other crimes like high-tech crimes, cyber crimes, human
traffickers and terrorists,” he said, adding that Vietnam will also
partner with the country in maritime security, naval forces, maritime
police and rescue operations at sea.
The two sides should promptly sign an agreement on extradition and another on the transfer of prisoners, he said.
Host and guest agreed on the need to team up with each other in
protecting peace and stability in the East Sea, as well as interests and
rights of each country, in line with international law, especially the
1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, opposing the use of violence,
and building the East Sea of peace and non-military.
PM Phuc also suggested the two sides ratchet up sea and ocean
cooperation; continue strengthening ASEAN’s unity as well as its role in
handling the East Sea issue; work more closely in ASEAN through
information sharing and coordination in stance; and promote regular
exchanges between the Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam
towards forming a key group in the bloc.
For that, the countries need to coordinate in enhancing ASEAN’s central
role in responding to challenges that impact on peace, stability, and
security in the region, and the relations with other dialogue countries,
the Vietnamese leader said.
He said if a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) is finalised in 2017
on the bloc’s 50 th founding anniversary, it will be a hallmark and an
important step forward of not only ASEAN, but also the Philippines as
the ASEAN Chair, contributing to promoting peace and stability in the
region.
President Duterte told his host that when he was young, one of his
dreams was visiting Vietnam and that he admired Vietnam’s victory in the
struggle winning national independence and its renewal and development
achievements and saw the country as an example for his country to
follow.
He highly valued what the Vietnamese Government and people have done for
the Philippines, especially the supply of rice for the country when it
dealt with food shortage, affirming that Vietnam is a good neighbor and
brother of the Philippines.
He stated that his country backs Vietnam’s organization of the APEC 2017 and welcomes PM Phuc’s attendance at ASEAN 2017.
He expressed his hope to sign more trade agreements with Vietnam, saying
that will help the two become strong nations in the region.
The Philippines also wants to boost cooperation with Vietnam in other
domains, including the prevention and combat of crime and stands ready
to negotiate on the signing of an extradition agreement.
On the East Sea issue, Duterte agreed that parties involved need to
continue working to settle all disputes and disagreement peacefully with
respect to international law.
The Philippines protests the use of force in this area and wants the
sides concerned to work to promote mutual understanding, the President
stressed.
He went on to say that ASEAN needs to make more efforts to solve the
East Sea issue peacefully, suggesting speeding up consultations among
the bloc’s member countries on this matter.
Also on the day, President Duterte and his entourage were feted by
President Tran Dai Quang. The banquet was also attended by the
Ambassadors and Charge Affaires of the ASEAN countries in Vietnam.
Later, President Duterte left Hanoi, wrapping up his official visit to
Vietnam from September 28-29 at the invitation of President Tran Dai
Quang.
Philippine President meets Vietnamese PM, concludes visit
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called on Vietnam
and the Philippines to tap their potential for trade and investment ties
to match with the strategic partnership.
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