Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the statement at a reception for visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris in Hanoi on July 18.

Dung proposed that the two countries effectively implement agreements signed by their top leaders to increase bilateral cooperation in politics, security, national defence, economics, trade, investment, oil & gas, culture, education, and tourism, striving to raise two-way trade to US$1 billion by 2015.

Vietnam supports Sri Lanka in expanding cooperation with other countries in Southeast Asia, Dung assured his guest.

For his part, FM Gamini Lakshman Peiris stressed that Sri Lanka wants to boost cooperation with Vietnam in various areas, especially in oil & gas exploration and exploitation, agriculture and tourism.

He proposed that the Vietnamese government create favourable conditions for the business communities of the two countries to speed up joint investment projects for mutual benefit.

As a founder of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Sri Lanka supports principles of ensuring marine security and freedom, and settling sea disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means in respect for international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, said the diplomat.

He also voiced Sri Lanka’s strong support for regional countries’ efforts in strictly observing the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and building the Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea soon.

FM Gamini Lakshman Peiris began a three-day visit to Vietnam on July 16. He held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh on July 17.