Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert Del Rosario had a comprehensive review of the bilateral relationship since the previous meeting held in Manila in October 2013 and the implementation of the Vietnam-Philippines action plan for the 2011 to 2016 period.
Expressing delight at their strengthened links in politics, economics, trade and investment, defence and security, maritime affairs, agriculture, education and people-to-people exchanges, they set sight on quality growth of the partnership through further facilitating visits and high-level exchanges.
Apart from information and experience sharing, the two countries are to further collaboration in fighting terrorism, cyber-crimes and piracy, conducting search and rescue, and training officers for the United Nations peacekeeping activities.
The two sides agreed to promote a two-way trade target of 3 billion USD by 2016.
"The economic and trade links between the two countries has been developing positively. The two sides agreed to enhance meetings between businesses in order to push two-way trade to 3 billion USD or more in 2016. To maintain rice supplies and food security for the Philippines, the two sides agreed to promote the signing of the additional protocol of the rice trade agreement in 2014-2016 on the occasion of President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to the Philippines to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum summit slated for November", said Pham Binh Minh - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
The two sides agreed to turn agriculture and fisheries into a central pillar of strategic co-operation with initial focus to be geared toward rice cultivation and fisheries. Additional areas of co-operation will be culture, education and training, transport, science and technology and the environment. The ninth meeting will be held in the Philippines in 2017.
