(VOVworld) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the first ever meeting between the two leaders, following the opening session of the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN summits in Laos.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Photo: VOV)

They were delighted that the two countries’ relations had developed robustly across the board and affirmed they placed importance on the bilateral strategic partnership. The leaders stressed the importance of maintaining peace and security, stepping up cooperation in the East Sea, and handling disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and consented to work together for those goals. The leaders also sought to reinforce their coordination at foreign ministerial levels and other cooperative mechanisms. The two countries will continue supporting each other when Vietnam assumes the APEC Chair and the Philippines takes on the ASEAN Presidency in 2017. Prime Minister Xuan Phuc invited President Duterte to visit Vietnam, and the Philippine President accepted the invitation with pleasure.