Malacañan Palace
31 July 2013

President Benigno S. Aquino III received Vietnamese officials led by Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh in Malacanang.

Minister Pham Binh Minh was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh, Ambassador of Vietnam to the Philippines Nguyen Vu Tu, Hon. Vuon Hai Nam and Hon. Dong Hoang Giang.

On the Philippine side, President Aquino was joined by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Evan Garcia, Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Jerill Santos, DFA Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs Secretary-General Henry Bensurto Jr., and DFA Asian and Pacific Affairs Office Executive Director Bernardita Catalla.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh and his delegation is in the country for the Philippine – Vietnam Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting. Cooperative initiatives on defense and security, maritime and ocean cooperation, trade and investments, and agriculture are said to be discussed. The JCBC is a regular consultation mechanism between the two countries to discuss mutual concerns on bilateral and regional issues.

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