Vietnam and the Philippines on
July 2 issued a joint press release on the occasion of the visit to
Vietnam of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. Del Rosario.
According
to the joint press release, the discussions between the foreign
ministers of the two countries during the visit covered bilateral
cooperative projects, international and regional concerns, and
people-to-people ties.
Regarding the East Sea (known as the South
China Sea internationally) issue, the two foreign ministers discussed
the urgent need to address the escalating challenges through peaceful
means and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The following is the full text of the joint press release:
Secretary
Albert Del Rosario visited Hanoi on 2 July 2014 to follow up on the
successful visit to the Philippines of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in
May 2014.
Secretary Del Rosario expressed his appreciation to
the Government of Vietnam for its warm hospitality and his meetings with
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
The
discussions between the Foreign Ministers were comprehensive,
constructive and productive and covered bilateral cooperative projects,
international and regional concerns, and people-to-people ties.
On
a bilateral basis, the two Ministers discussed wide range of issues and
agree to further promote cooperation in many areas such as fisheries,
ocean and maritime, defense and security, trade and investment. The
Foreign Ministers also agreed to advance partnership to a higher level
including the establishment of a Joint Commission headed by the two
Ministers to formulate a road map in working towards a strategic
partnership.
In particular, the Foreign Ministers exchanged views
on the rising tension in the South China Sea, and discussed the urgent
need to address the escalating challenges through peaceful means and in
accordance with international law including UNCLOS. The two Foreign
Ministers urged that the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
South China Sea (DOC) be implemented in its entirety, including
refraining from the use of coercive force. The two Ministers also agreed
that the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) be expeditiously
concluded without undue delay. In this regard, the two Ministers
reaffirmed the ASEAN Joint Statement on the Developments in the South
China Sea issued on the 10th of May 2014 and the ASEAN Six Point
Principles on the South China Sea.
The two Foreign Ministers
reaffirmed the invaluable friendship between their countries and the
importance of their partnership in ASEAN.
The two sides reaffirmed their common commitment to promote the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes. – VNA