Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh meets with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay on the sidelines of the ongoing ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat. — Photo Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
The agreement was reached during their meeting in Boracay, the
Philippines on February 20 on the sidelines of the ongoing ASEAN Foreign
Ministers’ Retreat.
The two sides pledged to urge agencies of each country to implement
agreements and enhance the efficiency of existing partnership mechanisms
such as the bilateral cooperation committee, defence policy dialogue,
Joint-Committee on maritime and ocean issues, and Sub-Committee for
trade collaboration.
Yasay committed to holding the third Foreign Ministerial Meeting on
Committee for Bilateral Cooperation and the ninth Deputy Foreign
Ministerial Meeting on maritime and ocean issues in the Philippines this
year.
He also vowed to consider creating favourable conditions for Vietnam’s
vegetable, fruit and poultry meat to be sold in his country.
Additionally, both sides agreed to strengthen the exchange of
information and experience and to boost cooperation in combating crime,
terrorism, high technology crimes, and drug and human trafficking, while
negotiating to sign an agreement on extradition and another on transfer
of convicts.
In the context of piracy in the region, Deputy PM Minh asked the
Philippines’ Foreign Ministry to coordinate closely, share information
and cooperate with ASEAN countries to tackle the problem to ensure
maritime security and safety.
The two sides expressed delight at the strong growth of the bilateral
strategic partnership, which has been fostered through exchanges of
high-ranking delegations, including the Vietnam visit by Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte in September last year.
Along with bilateral cooperation, the two sides discussed international
and regional issues of shared concern. They agreed to work closely in
presiding over multilateral meetings in 2017, with the Philippines
being ASEAN Chair and Vietnam hosting APEC.
They would cooperate to strengthen solidarity and the central role of
ASEAN in major matters related to security and the interests of each
country and the region, while reaffirming the need to ensure peace,
stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in
the East Sea as well as the settlement of maritime disputes based on
international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the
Sea.
The two sides also pledged to coordinate with other ASEAN countries to
implement the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and
hasten the signing of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea.
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