State President Truong Tan Sang on Dec. 20 sent a message of condolences to his Philippine counterpart Benigno S. Aquino III over great losses caused by typhoon Washi.

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung cabled a message of sympathy to the Philippine President.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also expressed his sympathy to his Philippine counterpart Albert Del Rosario over the losses.

Typhoon Washi, one of the worst calamities to hit the region for the past few years, battered the southern Philippines and killed 957 people with 49 still missing. Nearly 2 million pesos (45,495 USD) worth of crops were destroyed./.