Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Myanmar have issued a joint statement on strengtheningtheir comprehensive cooperative partnership on the occasion of Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc’s official visit to Myanmar from December 16-18 at theinvitation of President U Win Myint.

The jointstatement said along with past high-level visits, PM Phuc’s visit continues toaffirm the closeness between the two countries as well as the importance thatthey attach to the bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership.

According to thejoint statement, during the visit, leaders of the two countries expressedsatisfaction at the progress in the bilateral comprehensive cooperativepartnership, which was established in 2017 during the State visit by GeneralSecretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

They welcomed thepositive outcomes of the Vietnam visit by President U Win Myint in May 2019 on the occasion of his attendance atthe 2019 UN Vesak Day celebration in Vietnam. In this spirit, the two sidesagreed to maintain the exchange of delegations at all levels and in allchannels.

The two sidesagreed to work together to organize activities to mark the 45th anniversaryof Vietnam-Myanmar diplomatic ties (May 28, 1975-2020), and promotepeople-to-people exchanges.

The leadersunderlined the importance of bilateral cooperative mechanisms, and welcomed theoutcomes of the 9th session of the Joint Commission for BilateralCooperation held in Hanoi in March this year, the 10th session ofthe Joint Sub-committee on trade held in Myanmar in September, and the deputyministerial-level political consultations between the two Foreign Ministries inHanoi in November.

The leadersagreed to promote the exchange of delegations and bilateral cooperativemechanisms in defence and security, including the early establishment of adefence policy dialogue at deputy ministerial and deputy chief of general stafflevels in 2019.

The two sides agreedto expand cooperation in crime control and non-traditional security issues, andcommit to not allowing any individual or organization to use one country’sterritory to carry out activities to harm the other country. They askedrelevant agencies to early finalise a Memorandum of Understanding on mutualassistance in criminal matters.

The leaders emphasizedthe importance of enhancing connectivity between the two economies in thecontext of rising protectionism in the region and the world. They expressedsatisfaction at bilateral trade and investment collaboration, with two-waytrade reaching 1.05 billion USD in 2019, surpassing the target of 1 billion USDset for 2020. Vietnam is currently the 7th biggest foreign investorin Myanmar with 18 projects worth 2.2 billion USD.

The two sidesvowed to double Vietnam’s investment in Myanmar through an enhanced andcomprehensive economic cooperation strategy to be built by the end of 2020.       

Toward this goal,the Myanmar side took note of and agreed to early consider Vietnam’s proposalon simplifying customs clearance and quarantine procedures in bilateral trade,reducing the list of imports subject to licence based on the WTO’s relevant rulesand regulations, and establishing an industrial park.

Vietnam alsoasked Myanmar to create favourable conditions for investors of the twocountries, particularly in the fields of banking, aviation, telecoms, minerals,information technology, technological services, tourism, consumer goodproduction, insurance, oil and gas services, electricity, health care andeducation.

The leaderspledged to study the possibility of cooperation in numerous fields, such as cultivationof industrial crops and rice varieties, aquaculture, transport connectivity,information and telecoms technology, tourism, justice, protection of theenvironment and natural resources, culture-arts-sports, and information andcommunication.

The two sidesagreed to maintain close coordination and cooperation at regional and internationalforums, especially the ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms, the UN, WTO, ASEM, theNon-Aligned Movement and Mekong sub-region mechanisms.

The Myanmar sidereiterated its support of Vietnam as Chair of ASEAN in 2020 and a non-permanentmember of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

The leadersre-affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region andthe freedom and safety of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. Theystressed the importance of settling disputes by peaceful measures on the basisof international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS), without using or threatening to use force. The two sides underlinedthe need to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and to build an effective, substantiveand legally binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

The Myanmar sidethanked the Vietnamese Government for understanding the situation in Rakhinestate and for providing Myanmar with 100,000 USD to serve humanitarian targetsand the reconstruction and development of Rakhine state.

Vietnam expressedcontinued support for Myanmar’s efforts to ensure peace, stability, the rule oflaw, and to promote harmony and reconciliation among communities, thus ensuringsustainable and just development in Rakhine.

The leaders appreciated thesupport that the ASEAN and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for HumanitarianAssistance on Disaster Management (AHA) havegiven to Myanmar in handling humanitarian issues and facilitating therepatriation of refugees in Rakhine./.