The first Vietnam - Philippines political consultation held in Hanoi on August 1 (Photo: Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) The event,co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet and Undersecretaryof the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Theresa P. Lazaro, was to implementthe agreement reached at the 9th meeting of the Vietnam -Philippines Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in 2019.
Theofficials shared the view on the strong development of the two countries’strategic partnership in all fields.
Lazaroaffirmed that Vietnam is an important strategic partner of her country in the region.
Both sides agreed to propose the countries’ foreign ministers hold in-depthdiscussion 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 stressedthe importance of holding more meetings at all levels and bringing into play currentbilateral mechanisms.
Vietsaid maritime cooperation plays a key role in the Vietnam - Philippinesstrategic partnership.
The officialsagreed that their countries will continue expanding maritime cooperation, boostinformation sharing, further capitalise on existing mechanisms, and work closelywith each other in the settlement of issues related to fishermen and vessels inthe spirit of the strategic partnership and the ASEAN solidarity.
At theconsultation, they also looked into some international and regional issues ofcommon concern and pledged that the two countries will keep close coordinationand mutual support at regional and international forums such as the UnitedNations and ASEAN.
The enhancementof the political trust and strategic partnership on both bilateral andmultilateral dimensions will help the countries respond more effectively tochallenges, work towards sustainable development, and help secure peace andstability for the region, they added./.
VNA
