The first Việt Nam - Philippines political consultation held in Hà Nội on August 1. Photo: Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI – The first political consultation between the foreign ministries of Việt Nam and the Philippines took place in Hà Nội on August 1.

The event, co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt and Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Theresa P. Lazaro, was to implement the agreement reached at the 9th meeting of the Việt Nam - Philippines Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in 2019.

The officials shared their view on the strong development of the two countries’ strategic partnership in all fields.

Lazaro affirmed that Vietnam is an important strategic partner of her country in the region.

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Both sides agreed to propose the countries’ foreign ministers hold in-depth discussion about cooperation areas of common interest, including politics, defence, security, economy, trade, investment, maritime cooperation, and other fields, at the 10th JCBC meeting on August 2.

They stressed the importance of holding more meetings at all levels and bringing into play current bilateral mechanisms.

Việt said maritime cooperation plays a key role in the Việt Nam - Philippines strategic partnership.

The officials agreed that their countries will continue expanding maritime cooperation, boost information sharing, further capitalise on existing mechanisms, and work closely with each other in the settlement of issues related to fishermen and vessels in the spirit of the strategic partnership and the ASEAN solidarity.

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At the consultation, they also looked into some international and regional issues of common concern and pledged that the two countries will keep close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums such as the United Nations and ASEAN.

The enhancement of the political trust and strategic partnership on both bilateral and multilateral dimensions will help the countries respond more effectively to challenges, work towards sustainable development, and help secure peace and stability for the region, they added.