President’s Brunei-Myanmar trip is a success

President Truong Tan Sang meets with staff from the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese people living and studying in Myanmar. (Image: VNA)

President Sang expressed his belief that with PVEP working together with other Vietnamese businesses currently investing in Myanmar, bilateral trade will increase, helping cement friendship and further co-operation between the two countries.

PVEP was the final stop of President Sang’s Myanmar visit. Earlier, he met with staff from the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese people living and studying in Myanmar.

Speaking to the press on the outcomes of President Sang’s Brunei-Myanmar trip, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said the visit once again demonstrates Vietnam’s policy on friendship and co-operation with neighbouring and regional countries, delivering the country’s wish to deepen ties with these countries.

He affirmed that the State visits were successful, creating a change in Vietnam’s bilateral ties with Brunei and Myanmar that will further deepen relations in a more practical manner.

Following the visits, Vietnam has reinforced its relationship with Brunei and Myanmar bilaterally and multilaterally, and seen new co-operation opportunities open in fields that each country is strong, FM Minh said.

The leaders of Brunei and Myanmar have asserted to value Vietnam’s role and position in the political sphere and wanted to further their bilateral ties with Vietnam.

Regarding defence and security, the leaders have agreed that new developments in the field were thanks to the signing of bilateral co-operation agreements.

Economically, they said a lot of potential remains untapped, according to FM Minh.

Brunei said it considers Vietnam an important fuel partner and will encourage its businesspeople to inject greater investment in the building of hotels and resorts. Meanwhile, Myanmar affirmed to work closely in trade promotion activities to increase two-way trade to US$500 million by 2015.

FM Minh told the press that President Sang reached an agreement with the leaders of the two countries to bolster and expand co-operation in other fields - labour export and English language training with Brunei, and agriculture, animal husbandry, industrial tree plantations, oil and gas, telecommunications and construction with Myanmar.

On the East Sea issue, the leaders of Brunei and Myanmar shared Vietnam’s view that peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea needs safeguarding. And that disputes must be solved by peaceful means in accordance with international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They stressed the importance of the full and stringent implementation of the Declaration of the Parties on the Conduct in the East Sea (DOC) and the prompt completion of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea. They also welcomed ASEAN’s six-point principles on the East Sea and the ASEAN-China Summit Joint Statement on the 10th anniversary of DOC.

To realise the agreements and promises made during the visits, Vietnam and the two countries will continue to strengthen their political ties with high-level exchange visits, FM Minh added.

The King of Brunei and the President of Myanmar will make official visits to Vietnam in the near future, and the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly plans to visit Myanmar in 2013.

The implementation of agreements on economics, defence, oil and gas, agriculture and other fields will be fast-tracked.

The establishment of a hotline with Brunei’s navy, and a deputy ministerial security dialogue mechanism with Myanmar will be quickened.

Negotiations on new co-operation accords will be held to provide a more favourable legal foundation and conditions for bilateral co-operation in the coming time, FM Minh said.

The visits highlighted that Vietnam shares similar viewpoints with Brunei and Myanmar on regional and international issues, especially those relating to ASEAN. When Brunei assumes the ASEAN Chair in 2013, and Myanmar in 2014, close co-operation with Vietnam will continue, FM Minh concluded.