PH eyes elevating strategic partnership with Vietnam —DFA's Manalo

KUALA LUMPUR — The Philippines is eyeing to elevate its strategic partnership with Vietnam, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Monday.

At the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, Manalo met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, to tackle forthcoming high-level engagements, bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

''We both looked forward to further elevating our Strategic Partnership and build on key accomplishments in defense and maritime cooperation, economic, and socio-cultural relations,'' Manalo said.

In 2023, the Philippines said it must step up maritime cooperation with Vietnam under a key strategic partnership accord as both nations encounter maritime security threats in the South China Sea.

Manalo had underscored the importance of the two nations' strategic partnership amid evolving geopolitical tensions, including long-running disputes in the resource-rich waters.

Early this month, Vietnam protested claims by the Philippines and China over a disputed reef in the South China Sea, which it considers its own territory.

Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang had said that Hanoi already "issued protest notes to the countries involved regarding violations of its sovereignty over Sandy Cay".

Vietnam considers the resource-rich Spratly Islands — which lie some 500 kilometers (310 miles) off its east coast — as part of its territory.

The Sandy Cay reef lies near Thitu Island, or Pag-asa, where the Philippines stations troops and maintains a coast guard monitoring base. —AOL, GMA Integrated News