Vietnam and the Philippines will work together in carrying out aquaculture cooperation projects, providing assistance for fishermen on sea and conducting search and rescue activities under a bilateral fishery cooperation agreement.

The agreement was signed in Hanoi on June 28 by Deputy Minister of Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam and Undersecretary of the Philippines Foreign Affairs Rafael E. Seguis.

The two ASEAN member countries have set up ties in almost areas of cooperation, including agriculture, Deputy Minister Tam said, adding that the Philippines is among Vietnam’s stable rice importers.

The two countries share similarities in aquaculture development. The Philippines has experiences in community-based fishery management and successful researches on seaweed aquaculture and processing, according to Tam.

However, Tam said, in this cooperation, the two countries only share information and experience in management within the multilateral frameworks through organisations in the region like ASEAN and SEAFDEC.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Undersecretary Rafael E. Seguis stressed the necessity of bilateral cooperation in the fishery sector, particularly in information sharing, development of aquaculture and fight against illegal fishing.

Deputy Minister Tam said the signing of the agreement manifested the two sides’ desire and determination to strengthen cooperation for benefit of both countries’ fishermen./.