August 17, 2017 | 21:19 (GMT+7)
Deputy Chief of General Staff receives Philippine naval officers
PANO - Senior Lieutenant General Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, hosted a visiting delegation of the Philippines’ Navy, led by its commander, Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph S. Mercado.
The visit aimed to enhance the defense ties and naval cooperation between the two countries and to discuss future cooperation between the two navies.
At the reception. Photo: mod.gov.vn
At the reception on August 16 at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, Gen. Minh expressed his pleasure at the satisfactory development in cooperation between the two countries in various aspects, including their defense ties.
He also stressed the intensive cooperation between the two navies with practical results, such as the establishment of a communication channel, the implementation of the regulation on personnel exchanges on Song Tu Tay (Southwest Cay) and Song Tu Dong (Northeast Cay) islands, delegation exchanges and other activities related to search and rescue at sea.
Gen. Minh suggested two sides have anti-piracy cooperation mechanisms in place in the time to come, so as to ensure the security and safety of navigation in the region.
For his part, Vice Admiral Mercado believed that the enhanced ties between the two countries stemmed from their sharing of mutual benefits. He added that the two nations have also actively pursued the goal of peace, stability and security, especially in navigation.
The Filipino naval officer took this chance to thank Vietnam for its active support and humanitarian treatment for Filipino fishermen who found themselves in distress at sea.
Translated by Mai Huong