The agreement was reached at a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Vice President of the German Bundestag Hans-Peter Friedrich in Berlin on Wednesday. Mr. Minh praised the Bundestag and the German-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group within the Bundestag for closely monitoring the East Sea situation. He asked Germany to continue raising a strong voice in support of the Vietnam and ASEAN stance on the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, refraining from use of force, and full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea towards early formulation of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea. Both sides agreed on the importance of multilateral mechanisms and respect for international law in maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.