(VOVworld) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung hailed the working visit to Vietnam by Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario as a pragmatic contribution to enhancing the sound cooperative ties between the two countries.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (L) shakes hands with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario (Photo: VNA)

At a meeting with the secretary in Hanoi on Wednesday, Dung reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of working with the Philippines in an effective fashion. Prime Minister Dung called on both countries to increase delegation exchanges and bolster economic links, especially in rice trading, investment, and tourism. He recommended greater cooperation in fisheries, science, technology, culture, security, defence, and people-to-people exchanges.

Albert del Rosario said the Philippines attaches great importance to cooperation with Vietnam and expressed his deep concern about the complicated developments in the East Sea. He said using or threatening to use force is not a solution to the East Sea issue.
He shared the view that parties need to honor the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and hold result-oriented negotiations to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as soon as possible for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.