By Prashanth Parameswaran
Manila and Hanoi held a meeting ahead of a much-anticipated signing next month.
On October 21, Vietnam and the Philippines convened the eighth meeting of their bilateral cooperation committee. The deliberations focused on specific measures for advancing collaboration as the two ASEAN states are expected to lift ties to a strategic partnership next month.
This iteration of the Vietnam-Philippines Bilateral Cooperation Committee, which is held biennially, was co-chaired by Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario and his counterpart Pham Binh Minh.
The holding of the meeting comes at an important time in the evolution of the relationship. As I reported earlier, Vietnam and the Philippines are expected to ink a strategic partnership on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leader’s summit in Manila next month (See: “Philippines, Vietnam to Ink Strategic Partnership By End of 2015”). Indeed, close observers know that parts of a draft joint statement had even been leaked earlier this year.
In addition, 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries. Apart from the usual celebrations, such anniversaries also provide an opportunity to inject new vigor into ties and push through new avenues for cooperation.
Read the full story at The Diplomat