Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) and  Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi (R)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh made the statement at a meeting with Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi on Friday on the margins of the ongoing 34^th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.  They exchanged experience on sustainable economic development, considering cooperation in managing and conserving marine resources a pillar of the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership. They agreed to continue accelerating negotiations to demarcate overlapping exclusive economic zones between the two nations, creating a legal basis to effectively manage their territorial waters and augmenting international cooperation.

They agreed on further coordination in exchanging information on fishermen and fishing vessels, as well as settling differences based on the humanitarian spirit, the strategic partnership, and the ASEAN solidarity. Regarding the East Sea issue, the two officials pledged to continue increasing cooperation and sharing stances and viewpoints with each other and with other ASEAN member states to keep solidarity and a common voice, and ensure peace, security and stability in the East Sea. They also vowed to speed up the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) as well as the finalization of a practical, effective, and comprehensive Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.