The Philippines and Vietnam will sign the two countries’ strategic partnership agreement, possibly during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Manila in November, according to Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario and Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Truong Trieu on Wednesday night.
“Yes, this [agreement] has been nurtured for quite some time and it was proposed by my prime minister [Nguyen Tan Dung], when he visited the Philippines last year in May,” Duong said.
Dung was in Manila on May 21, 2014, upon the invitation of President Aquino during the World Economic Forum here.
Mr. Aquino and Dung shared each country’s experiences in settling disputes in the East Vietnam Sea with China.
Del Rosario served as the guest speaker during Vietnam’s 70th anniversary celebration of independence at the Sofitel Hotel. Also present were US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, former President Fidel V. Ramos and former Speaker Jose de Venecia.
Duong said the foreign ministers of the Philippines and Vietman will try to work out the draft of the strategic partnership agreement, which is “almost finished.” “With that agreement, there will be many, many expectations politically, economically and on the field of diplomacy; and I do believe that with the strategic partnership agreement, we will bring our relationship up to a higher level and it will be more comprehensive and more fruitful cooperation in almost every aspect of relations,” Duong explained.
Asked whether the new partnership would lead to reducing tension in the South China Sea, Duong said: “We will deepen our cooperation in order to solve all the issues concerning the South China Sea in the most peaceful ways in accordance with international law. The only thing I can say right now, there will be a tighter, much closer cooperation, and there will be some kind of exchange of visit, information, everything, I can’t go into details right now.”
“But you can imagine, there will be a very, very good agreement and I do believe that between Vietnam and the Philippines, we will become much closer friends and we will share lots of things together. We will have many things in common and we share and help each other, toward the future.”