Vietnam President Sang leaves with stronger ties with PH

Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang at the APEC CEO Summit at the Makati Shangri-la. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

President Truong Tan Sang left the Philippines Thursday knowing that he has forged a stronger relationship between Manila and Hanoi.

Sang departed via Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at 7:20 p.m. for his departure.

Sang attended the two-day Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting that tackled terrorism, addressing poverty, climate change, among others.

Sang and President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday witnessed the signing of the Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Vietnam by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh.

The signing of the joint statement was heralded by Sang as “a new era for cooperation between our two countries, while making contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”

They also signed the Exchange of the Signed Protocol to Amend the 2010 Philippines-Vietnam Memorandum of Agreement on the Supply of Vietnamese Rice to the Philippines.

Aside from the signing of the said agreements, Sang and Aquino discussed the importance of “Asean centrality” in dealing with the incursion of China in the South China Sea and the Philippines first round victory against Beijing at the UN tribunal.

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