1. At the invitation of State President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Tran Dai Quang, the President of the Republic of the Philippines Rodrigo Roa Duterte paid an Official Visit to Viet Nam from 28 to 29 September 2016.
2. During the visit, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte paid homage at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs, held talks with President Tran Dai Quang; called on General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; had a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and attended the State Banquet hosted by President Tran Dai Quang and received the delegation of Viet Nam Business Community.
3. President Duterte congratulated President Quang on the latter’s election as State President of Viet Nam in April 2016. On the same note, President Quang congratulated President Duterte on the latter’s election as President of the Philippines in May 2016.
4. The two Presidents recalled the spirit of the historical Joint Communiqué signed in 1976 that established diplomatic relations between the two countries. The last 40 years saw the steady progress in the friendship, mutual trust and goodwill leading to deepening cooperation between the two countries at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
5. Both leaders recalled that in November 2015, the Philippines and Viet Nam established a Strategic Partnership to elevate the level and intensity of bilateral exchanges between the two countries and to harness advantages for common development and in pursuit of shared strategic interests.
6. On the various aspects of bilateral exchanges, the two Presidents:
7. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as unimpeded commerce in the region particularly in the South China Sea. Furthermore, the two leaders called for the peaceful resolution of disputes including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, self-restraint in the conduct of activities, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two Presidents also reaffirmed their support for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and work expeditiously for the early adoption of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea as well as their position on the Award by the Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration.
8. Both Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to upholding peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, including advancing ASEAN community building efforts through the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. To these ends, both sides reiterated the importance of and emphasized the promotion of the central role of ASEAN in the regional architecture.
9. The two Presidents noted the forthcoming chairmanship roles of their countries within regional bodies in 2017, with each pledging full support for, as well as active participation and collaboration during the Philippines’ chairmanship of ASEAN and Viet Nam’s chairmanship of APEC. The two Presidents looked forward to productive exchanges of visits at various official levels during next year’s ASEAN and APEC meetings and summits.
10. President Duterte expressed appreciation to President Quang for the warm welcome and kind hospitality accorded to him and the Philippine delegation and expressed his desire to reciprocate Viet Nam’s hospitality during a visit to the Philippines by President Quang at a mutually convenient time.
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