At the meeting, both Minh and Locsin highlighted the growingly intensive and trustworthy political and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Both expressed their delight at the enhanced and more practical cooperation in national defence and security.
They consented to take measures to enhance economic cooperation and create optimal conditions for enterprises of the two countries to strengthen investment and business partnerships, aiming to maintain annual two-way trade growth above 20%. In 2018, bilateral trade stood at US$4.72 billion, up 18% as compared with the previous year, they noted.
Regarding regional and international issues, Locsin congratulated Vietnam and commended the country’s preparations for the second summit between the US and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in late February. The meeting was of great significance to building trust and promoting practical peace talks on the Korean Peninsula, he said, stressing that Vietnam has proven its role and active contributions to regional and international matters.
The two sides also agreed to continue their close coordination at multilateral forums and expressed their resolve to coordinate with other members of the ASEAN to enhance intra-bloc solidarity and the grouping’s central role in regional security and strategic issues.
The two ministers exchanged in-depth views on and shared their common concern over recent developments in the East Sea. They emphasised the strategic significance of ensuring peace, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, settling disputes peacefully, practicing restraint, not complicating the situation, not militarising, respecting international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as legal and diplomatic processes, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon reaching a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
At the end of the session, Minh and Locsin signed the minutes of the meeting and an action programme implementing the Vietnam - Philippines strategic partnership for 2019-2024. They are important documents that serve as a foundation for the two sides to continue fostering their cooperative strategic partnership in a more practical and effective manner.
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Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh meets with Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. (Photo: MOFA)
Later the same day, Minh met with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who emphasised the importance of the Philippines - Vietnam strategic partnership and praised the outcomes of the ninth meeting of the committee, considering this as a leading mechanism to continuously beef up the bilateral cooperation for the sake of people of both countries.
On this occasion, Minh visited and presented the Vietnamese President’s second-class Labour Order to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines in recognition of its outstanding contributions to national construction and defence.
