Vietnam, Philippines hold first political consultation

The event, co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet and Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Theresa P. Lazaro, was to implement the agreement reached at the 9th meeting of the Vietnam - Philippines Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in 2019.

The officials shared the view on the strong development of the two countries’ strategic partnership in all fields. Lazaro affirmed that Vietnam is an important strategic partner of her country in the region.

Both sides agreed to propose the countries’ foreign ministers hold in-depth discussion about cooperation areas of common interest, including politics, defence, security, economy, trade, investment, maritime cooperation, and other fields, at the 10th JCBC meeting on August 2.

They stressed the importance of holding more meetings at all levels and bringing into play current bilateral mechanisms.

Viet said maritime cooperation plays a key role in the Vietnam - Philippines strategic partnership.

The officials agreed that their countries will continue expanding maritime cooperation, boost information sharing, further capitalise on existing mechanisms, and work closely with each other in the settlement of issues related to fishermen and vessels in the spirit of the strategic partnership and the ASEAN solidarity.

At the consultation, they also looked into some international and regional issues of common concern and pledged that the two countries will keep close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums such as the United Nations and ASEAN.

The enhancement of the political trust and strategic partnership on both bilateral and multilateral dimensions will help the countries respond more effectively to challenges, work towards sustainable development, and help secure peace and stability for the region, they added.