Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met with Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (Photo: Viet Dung/ VNA)

During the meeting, the two sides celebrated stronger and more practical cooperation in national defence and security via greater sharing of information and experience between their armed forces in addition to regular defence policy dialogues and naval consultations.

They agreed to take steps to enhance economic cooperation and facilitate investment and business partnerships. The two agreed to do more to encourage Vietnamese and Philippine tourists to visit each other’s country, to coordinate closely at multilateral forums, and to coordinate with other ASEAN members to foster solidarity and a central role in regional security. They underscored the strategic importance of ensuring peace, security, and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, settling disputes peacefully, practicing restraint, not complicating the situation, not militarizing, and respecting international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

At the end of the session, the two signed an action program to realize the Vietnam-Philippines strategic partnership until 2024. The same day, Mr. Minh met with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who underlined the importance of the Philippines-Vietnam strategic partnership and applauded the outcomes of the ninth meeting of the committee, calling it a leading mechanism for bilateral cooperation.