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.

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 co-operation 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.

 

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 co-operation; 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 co-ordination in stance; and promote regular exchanges between the Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam towards forming a key group in the bloc.

 

He said if a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) is finalised in 2017 on the bloc’s 50th 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 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 organisation 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 co-operation 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.

 

(Source: NDO)