Photo credit: PCO

In a bilateral meeting held on Wednesday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh have agreed to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Vietnam. The two leaders have decided to expand their cooperation on various sectors, including trade and investment, tourism, agriculture, and defense and security.

During their meeting, President Marcos expressed his admiration for the flourishing trade between the Philippines and Vietnam, particularly in agricultural products. He acknowledged the role of the private sector in improving the relationship between the two countries and called for both governments to strengthen their relationship beyond just trading in rice.

President Marcos also sees Vietnam as an important partner in rehabilitating the Philippine tourism sector following the devastation brought by successive COVID-19 lockdowns. He emphasized the need to develop stronger relations in the tourism sector as it is an essential part of the Philippine economy.

Prime Minister Pham, on the other hand, promised to work with the Philippines on trade promotion to diversify supply chains and trade between the two countries. He expressed his sympathy for the Philippines, especially during natural disasters, and emphasized the need to ensure a long-term strategic cooperation in the provision of goods to better withstand external shocks in the future.

The Vietnamese leader also asked for the Philippines' support for Vietnam's candidacy to various United Nations-led organizations, including the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Security Council, the Presidency of the 91st session of the United Nations General Assembly, and the UN Commission of International Trade.