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MANILA – Recognizing that maritime cooperation is key to addressing crime and improving trade, President Rodrigo Duterte and Vietnamese president Tran Dai Quang have pledged to peacefully resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
In a joint statement, the two countries said they will achieve this by respecting legal and diplomatic processes, and refraining from using force, “in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).”
They will work towards the early adoption of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea as well as their position on the award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea maritime dispute, they said.
In line with Duterte’s anti-drug stance, Philippines and Vietnam also agreed to explore ways to strengthen their cooperation to fight crime in the region, particularly the trade and trafficking of illegal drugs.
These include expedited negotiations for bilateral agreements on extradition, mutual legal assistance in criminal issues, and the transfer of sentenced persons in order to further enhance cooperation in law enforcement.
Philippines and Vietnam also called on businesses to clear the way for further trade and investment, particularly in agriculture, food processing, tourism services, and infrastructure.
Vietnam urged the Philippines to consider extending the Memorandum of Agreement on Rice Trade – Vietnam is one of the Philippines’ primary sources of imported rice to buffer its local supply.
Philippines’ ties with Vietnam date back to 1976, when the two countries signed a Joint Communique establishing diplomatic relations.
Earlier this week, Duterte noted the importance of meeting with his counterpart in Vietnam, as both countries are set to helm the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec), respectively, in 2017.
Duterte’s visit comes in the wake of remarks that the Philippines is aiming to strengthen ties with its Asian neighbors, and become less dependent on the United States.
One step in building the country’s ability to stand on its own, Duterte said, would be to wean itself away from the US, starting with ceasing joint military exercises.
Foreign Affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay said that despite the firebrand president’s words, the exercises set for 2017 will go ahead. (ABS-CBN News)
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