Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (right) and Chinese State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at border landmark 1369 in Việt Nam. The two officials chaired celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Việt Nam–China Land Border Treaty and the 10th anniversary of the implementation of three legal documents on the land border in the northern province of Quảng Ninh yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday co-chaired a ceremony to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Việt Nam-China Land Border Treaty at Móng Cái International Border Gate in the northern province of Quảng Ninh.

This is one of the highest level bilateral meetings held in person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony also marked the 10th year of the implementation of three legal documents on the land border signed between the two countries.

In his remarks at the event, Minh underscored the significance of the signing of the treaty in 1999, the completion of their boundary demarcation and marker planting in 2008, and the implementation of the three legal documents on the land border since 2010.

They mark the completion of the 36 years of negotiations on border demarcation, Minh said.

The Vietnamese diplomat said both sides had pursued the principles of equality, mutual respect and valid concerns over each other’s interests based on the agreed legal framework and international laws while demarcating the border.

He said the Party, State and people of Việt Nam attach great importance to maintaining the friendship with China and stand ready to deepen the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

Deputy PM Minh proposed the two countries continue working together in border management, promoting the role of the Việt Nam-China Land Border Joint Committee and implementing the three legal documents.

He also urged the two sides to foster co-operation in economics, trade and tourism along the shared border and to beef up friendly exchanges and win-win partnership between border localities in each nation.

Yi, for his part, called on the two countries to handle issues emerging along the border well and improve the effectiveness of border management. The good settlement of the land border and Gulf of Tonkin issues between the two sides will provide valuable experience for resolving maritime disputes, he said.

The two officials also exchanged views on measures to boost relations between the two Parties and States in the time to come, as well as issues of mutual concern, including facilitating the travel of experts, technicians and peoples of the two countries, based on ensuring the COVID-19 fight. — VNS