President Truong Tan Sang’s visit will take Vietnam-Philippines relationship to a new level, said the President of the Philippines, Beningo S. Aquino III.

 

The Philippines President said this during the October 26 talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, Truong Tan Sang, who is on an official visit to the country.

  

Mr Aquino congratulated Vietnam on the successful organization of the 11th National Party Congress and the election of  the 13th National Assembly. He said he believes Vietnam will successfully implement the 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy, thus making Vietnam a modern and industrialized economy.

 

President Sang said he was pleased to pay the first official visit to the Philippines since he was elected Vietnamese President and thanked Mr Aquino for the warm welcome.

 

He congratulated Philippine’s recent achievements in its national construction and development, and expressed his belief that the country will become a developed and prosperous country in the future.

 

Both leaders were delighted at the development of traditional relations and multifaceted cooperation over the past 35 years. They agreed to raise the relations to a new level and push negotiations for a strategic partnership for the two nations’ benefit and for peace, stability, and cooperation in the region.

 

They said it is necessary to boost the exchange of delegations at all levels, and promote mutual trust and understanding. They also believed that the 2011-2016 action program will be a legal basis for the two countries’ ministries and agencies to strengthen cooperation.

 

The two Presidents praised the positive development in national defence cooperation, demonstrated in the signing of a cooperation agreement between Vietnam and the Philippines’ naval forces.

 

The two leaders highlighted the establishment of a joint committee on sea and oceans at the deputy foreign ministerial level and agreed to convene the first meeting in 2012.

 

Mr Sang and his counterpart reached a consensus to increase bilateral trade to US$3 billion by 2016 and promote investment in each country in the fields of their strength. They also agreed to expand cooperation in culture, tourism, education, training, energy, oil and gas, as well as environment protection.

 

Regarding regional and international issues, they affirmed to cooperate in multilateral cooperation forums and support each other in being nominated to international and regional organizations.

 

They discussed frankly the East Sea issues and emphasized the importance of ensuring peace, stability, and safety in the East Sea. They agreed to settle disputes between concerned parties through peaceful negotiations and in compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea towards the building of the Code of Conduct (COC) of Parties in the East Sea.

 

Later the same day, President Aquino will hold a banquet for Mr Sang and his entourage at the Malacanan Palace.

 

VOV