Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (Source: VNA)Boracay (VNA) – Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met with Indonesian ForeignMinister Retno Marsudi, in Boracy, the Philippines, on February 20 on the sidelinesof the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat).
At the meeting, the two sides agreed todeepen the friendship and strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesiain 2017 via high-level exchanges, including the visit to Vietnam of the IndonesianPresident and the visit to Indonesia of President Tran Dai Quang.
The two ministers also agreed to promotecooperation mechanisms, particularly the Joint Commission Meetingat the foreign ministerial level slated for the third quarter inVietnam, and the Joint Committee on economic, scientific and technologicalcooperation.
They decided to boost cooperation onsecurity and defence, pledging to share information and work closely to combat terrorismin the region.
The two foreign ministers agreed on the needto accelerate the delineation of the exclusive economic zones beyond thecontinental shelf between the two countries.
Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh lauded thecooperation of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in dealing with Vietnamesefishermen detained in Indonesia in past years, and expressed his hope that thecountry will continue addressing the issue in a humanitarian spirit and in linewith the strategic partnership between the two nations.
For her part, Retno Marsudi agreed to coordinatewith Vietnam during APEC 2017 which is being hosted by the country, and promoteASEAN’s central role in the region. She also vowed to work with Vietnam for thedevelopment of ASEAN’s three pillars of politics – security, economics, cultureand expand cooperation between the bloc and other nations.
The two countries decided to cooperate withthe Philippines which chairs the ASEAN in 2017 in order to ensure regionalpolicies are effectively implemented.
Referring to East Sea issues, the twoministers attached significance to maintaining peace, stability, maritime andaviation security and safety. They agreed on the need to address disputes usingpeaceful measures with respect for international law, including the UnitedNations Convention on Law of the Sea 1982.
The two nations will work with other ASEANnations to effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea and hasten the formation of a Code of Conduct for the East Sea.-VNA
VNA
