Vietnam, Myanmar hold high-level talks

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc warmly welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi’s official visit to Vietnam and congratulated the Myanmar Government on its achievements over recent years. He voiced his support for Myanmar in the process of national construction and reconciliation as well as in the successful construction of a country of peace, stability and development.

Aung San Suu Kyi showed her elation at the visit to Vietnam and congratulated the country on the significant achievements in ensuring social welfare and sustainable development after 30 years of carrying out the Doi Moi (Renewal) process.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the development of the Vietnam-Myanmar relations over the past four decades, which was previously built by late President Ho Chi Minh and hero Aung San and nurtured by next generations.

They agreed that the two countries’ upgrading of their relations to a comprehensive cooperative partnership during the state visit to Myanmar by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in August last year ushered in a new period of stronger bilateral ties as evidenced by strengthened political relations and trust and effective security and defense cooperation.

Economic, trade and investment ties are seen as bright spots in the two countries' relations. Vietnam is currently the ninth largest trading partner and the seventh biggest foreign investor of Myanmar.

Regarding orientations for bilateral ties, the two sides consented to further strengthen political and diplomatic relations by intensifying exchanges of high-level visits and meetings at all levels, accelerating the organization of the 9th session of the Vietnam-Myanmar Joint Committee and adopting the Action Programme for the implementation of the Vietnam-Myanmar comprehensive cooperative partnership in the 2018-2023 period which will be served as a basis for carrying out areas of cooperation in an effective and practical manner.

Host and guest agreed to expand cooperation in training, military medicine, search and rescue, and sports exchanges, organize the deputy ministerial-level defence policy dialogue in 2018 as well as expedite negotiations to soon sign the agreement on anti-crime and others such as the Agreement on Extradition and Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. 

They expressed hope to further step up cooperation in finance, telecommunications, energy, agro-forestry-fisheries, people-to-people exchange. They welcomed the strengthening of coordination across transport, tourism, justice, education, culture and agreed to soon sign deals that lay a legal foundation for specific fields. 

Concerning regional and international issues of shared concern, the two sides concurred to augment cooperation at regional and global forums.such as ASEAN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the United Nations, jointly work to successfully build the ASEAN Community which plays a central role in regional security architecture, sustainably and effectively use Mekong River water resources, especially within the framework of the Greater Mekong Sub-region cooperation mechanisms. 

They  underlined the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region, freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, settling disputes through peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) without use of force or threat to use force, and pledged to fully and effectively abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon finalize the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of  two Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in post and telecommunications and information technology, and another on information cooperation. 

On the same day, the State Councilor of Myanmar laid wreaths at the Monument to Heroes of Martyrs.