Prime Minister greets Philippine foreign minister

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

 

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (left) receives Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario. (Credit: VNA)

At a meeting in Hanoi on October 21 with the secretary, the Government leader noted that Vietnam and the Philippines are enjoying friendly relations 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 maximising efforts when working 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 suggested co-operation in other fields such as fisheries, science-technology, culture, security, defence, and people-to-people exchanges, and confirmed that the Vietnamese Government would create propitious conditions for Philippine businesses to make long-term and effective investments in Vietnam.

 

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

 

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

 

All 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 effectively implement 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, co-operation 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 co-operation between the two countries.

 

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)