Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh holds a bilateral meeting with Lao FM Saleumxay Kommasith (Source: VNA) Manila (VNA) – Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh had bilateral meetingswith his counterparts from Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia,and Laos in Manila, the Philippines, on August 5, on the sidelines of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 50) and related meetings.
Meeting Singaporean FM Vivian Balakrishnan, both officials agreed on measuresto accelerate the implementation of high-level commitments to achieve jointconcrete benefits.
Vivian Balakrishnan stated that Singapore will work with Vietnam for thesuccessful APEC Year 2017, especially the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in DaNang in November.
Meanwhile, Minh and Indonesia’s FM Retno Marsudi asserted the importance ofmaintaining contacts and high-ranking meetings, to bring bilateral ties to anew height.
Minh suggested the two countries coordinate in protecting their fishermen,combating criminals at sea, while asking Indonesia to handle the issues ofarrested fishing boats and fishermen humanely.
At the meeting withthe Philippine FM Alan Peter Cayetano, Minh affirmed that Vietnam supports andworks with the Philippines in its ASEAN Chair in 2017 in speeding up the ASEANCommunity building process, reinforcing the bloc’s solidarity, and safeguardingthe grouping’s central role in tackling regional issues.
He asked the Philippines to work to ensure safety for Vietnamese nationalsbeing held by terrorists in the country as well as hasten the accomplishment ofnecessary procedures for the entry of Vietnamese vegetables, fruits, andpoultry products there.
Alan Peter Cayetano saidhe will soon work with relevant agencies in his country on the facilitation ofVietnamese farm products’ entry and pledged that he will make efforts to ensuresafety for Vietnamese nationals being captured.
At the meeting with Lao FM Saleumxay Kommasith, the officials vowed to workclosely to deploy reached agreements, soundly organize celebrative activities,and accomplish the implementation of an agreement on settling undocumentedmigrants and marriages without licences in the two countries’ border areas.
With Australian FM Julie Bishop, the officials agreed to step up cooperative effortsto fully tap the respective strengths and potential to develop bilateral tiesto a new height.
Minh asked Australia to continue facilitating the presence of Vietnamese farmand aquatic products and supporting the country in education and training.
Minister JulieBishop hailed Vietnam’s participation in the Colombo programme, which istailored to enhance people-to-people exchanges, and education and trainingcooperation, including the reception of Australian students in Vietnam.
Regarding regionaland international issues, Minh and his counterparts agreed on pushing effortsto build the ASEAN Community, and increasing coordination to maintain ASEAN’sunity and central role in the region.
The sides agreed tocontinue coordinating to maintain the bloc’s basis principles in addressing issuesrelating to peace and security in the region, including the East Sea issue onthe basis of international law, the 1982 UNCLOS, to safeguard overflight andmaritime freedom, security and safety in the East Sea, and seriously and fullyimplement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), andsoon have a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).-VNA
VNA
