(VOVworld)- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Brunei's Foreign Minister Lim Jock Seng on Monday co-chaired the first meeting of the Viet Nam-Brunei Joint Commission for bilateral cooperation in Hanoi.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Brunei's Foreign Minister Lim Jock Seng

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said the two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties in various aspects and upgrade bilateral cooperation to a new height. The two officials touched upon bilateral cooperation at regional and global forums and within the ASEAN framework as well as the East Sea issue. They stressed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, and safety of navigation in the East Sea, respecting international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully abiding by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and soon finalizing the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.