(VOVworld) – Vietnam and the Netherlands released a joint statement on the outcomes of the Dutch Prime Minister’s official visit to Vietnam. The statement said Prime Minister Mark Rutte held talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, met with President Truong Tan Sang and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, co-chaired the high-level meeting on the implementation of the Mekong Delta Program, attended a conference on Energy and met with Vietnamese and Dutch enterprises.
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Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the official welcoming ceremony (photo: VGP/ Nhat Bac)
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The joint statement said the two Prime Ministers agreed to establish the Strategic Partnership on Agriculture and Food Security. The two sides agreed to continue to enhance cooperative ties for the interest of their people, especially in climate change and water resource management, agriculture, energy, marine economy, and logistics services. The two sides reached consensus on expanding cooperation in national defense, judiciary, and education among localities. The two leaders appreciated bilateral cooperation at multilateral and international forums and pledged to support each other at the UN, ASEM, and ASEAN-EU forums.
They expressed deep concerns over the current situation in the East Sea. The Dutch Prime Minister confirmed his stance in line with the EU statement on May 8, 2014 and supported the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ statement on May 10, 2014 regarding the situation, urging the relevant parties, based on the principles of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to practice restraint, avoid actions that could harm regional peace and stability, resolve disputes by peaceful measures, not use or threaten to use force.
The two sides stressed the importance of peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of marine and air navigation in the East Sea and complete compliance with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the finalization of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.