HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay agreed to hasten the approval of the Viet Nam-Philippines action programme for 2017-2022 to forge stronger bilateral cooperation. The agreement was reached during their meeting in Boracay, the Philippines on February 20 on the sidelines of the ongoing ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat. Yasay committed to holding the third Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Committee for Bilateral Cooperation and the ninth Deputy Foreign Ministerial Meeting on maritime and ocean issues in the Philippines this year. Along with bilateral cooperation, the two sides discussed international and regional issues of shared concern. They agreed to work closely in presiding over multilateral meetings in 2017, with the Philippines being ASEAN Chair and Viet Nam hosting APEC.

Source: Viet Nam News February 21, 2017 05:03 UTC