FM Son meets Cambodian, Philippine, and Malaysian counterparts

During their meeting, FM Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn were pleased with the fruitful developments recorded in the bilateral relationship over recent times, agreeing to continue promoting the exchange of high-level visits via all channels. This is along with enhancing people-to-people exchange; maintaining and optimising the effectiveness of existing bilateral co-operation mechanisms; fostering economic connections; strengthening cooperation between localities, especially those that share borders; and exerting efforts to speed up the recovery of the tourism industry.

They also pledged to speed up negotiations towards completing the remaining 16% of the land border demarcation and marker planting in order to build a common borderline of peace, friendship, co-operation, and sustainable development between the two nations. They will therefore seek to closely co-ordinate at regional and international forums, as well as sub-regional mechanisms, whilst supporting each other's candidacy to multilateral organisations.

Cambodian Minister Sokhonn therefore thanked Vietnam for supporting Cambodia to successfully fulfil its role of ASEAN Chair 2022.

He added that the two sides should further strengthen economic-trade ties, focusing on important areas that are strengths of the two sides, while affirming Cambodia will continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors and firms doing business in Cambodia.

FM Son replied by suggesting that the Cambodian Minister continue to pay attention to and support the Vietnamese community residing in the neighbouring country. 

The Vietnamese Minister used the occasion to invite the Cambodian official to pay an official visit to Vietnam and co-chair the 20th Joint Commission meeting in the first quarter of 2023.

During their meeting, FM Son and his Philippine counterpart Enrique A. Manalo emphasised the need to enhance mutual high-level visits and meetings, with a focus on working closely to ensure the success of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr’s visit to Vietnam which will take place this year.

They also agreed to urge relevant agencies of the two countries to swiftly resume bilateral co-operation mechanisms interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the organisation of the 10th meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at a ministerial level.

Minister Manalo underlined the need to effectively implement action programmes to boost the Vietnam-Philippines Strategic Partnership in the 2019 to 2024 period towards the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership. The Philippine official noted that the two sides should seek to expand co-operation in the fields of climate change, green growth, the circular economy, digital transformation, and e-commerce.

FM Son suggested that both sides limit the imposition of trade barriers on each other's goods and seek to open the market for the two countries' key export products. This should be done whilst fully tapping into the advantages brought about by free trade agreements (FTAs) that both nations are joining to lift their two-way trade to US$10 billion.

Minister Manalo highly appreciated Vietnamese commitments to maintaining rice exports to the Philippines and assisting in ensuring food security.

The two ministers also agreed to further expand ties between the naval and coast guards, search and rescue operations, and responses to oil spills at sea, as well as in marine environment protection and scientific research. In line with this, both sides will soon organise the 10th meeting of the joint working group on sea and ocean affairs.

They affirmed that they will continue to actively co-operate to solve issues related to fishermen and boats in the spirit of humanity and the strong friendship between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to strengthen linkages and actively support each other at international and regional organisations and forums, especially the UN and ASEAN, as well as promoting solidarity and maintaining ASEAN's central role in major issues related to security and interests of each country and the region.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of both navigation and aviation in the East Sea, as well as settling disputes on the basis of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS). This is along with closely co-ordinating with other ASEAN member states in effectively implementing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and promoting the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Meeting with Malaysian FM Dato’s Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir, FM Son affirmed that Vietnam places great importance on and wishes to further promote the strategic partnership with Malaysia.

In response, Minister Kadir said the Vietnamese economy has grown impressively, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst Malaysia has also benefited from this in economic co-operation with the Vietnamese side.

The two ministers therefore agreed to continue accelerating the implementation of co-operation programmes approved by the two countries' senior leaders within the framework of the action programme to strengthen the Strategic Partnership in the 2021 to 2025 period, especially in economic, trade, and investment co-operation towards elevating two-way trade to US$18 billion by 2025.

The two nations will also strive to enhance ties and support each other at regional and international forums, especially ensuring ASEAN's common stance with regard to the East Sea issue. This should be done to ensure the full implementation of the DOC and to quickly reach a practical and effective COC in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.