Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh.— Photo baoquocte.vn

HÀ NỘI —Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. discussed co-operation between the two countries amid the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic during recent phone calls.
Minh extended thanks for the Philippines’s support for Việt Nam as the current ASEAN Chair, especially in co-operation in dealing with the pandemic.
He expressed his belief that the two countries and other ASEAN members will soon overcome challenges to stabilise socio-economic development and accelerate the process of ASEAN Community building.
Meanwhile, Locsin spoke highly of the effectiveness of the Vietnamese Government’s fight against COVID-19 as well as its initiatives in response to the pandemic.
The Philippines pledges to continue supporting and working with Việt Nam to fulfil its role as the ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021, Locsin said.
Both sides agreed to double efforts to deepen the Việt Nam-Philippines strategic partnership across fields, including health, trade, investment and food security in the context of the pandemic.
They also agreed to strengthen co-ordination in regional and international issues, including the East Sea issue. —VNS