The visit of the Philippine President to Vietnam reaffirms the solidity of the partnership

Marcos Jr. arrived here the day before on his first trip to this Indochina country after assuming office, on June 30, 2022, and his short stay will contribute to strengthening political confidence and strengthening the relations between the two countries that are developing in various fields. .

Pham Thu Hang, spokesman for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said political cooperation has improved with various high-level visits, meetings and contacts, while economic relations are also witnessing positive developments.

The spokesman said the two countries continue to maintain close coordination in regional and international forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum.

Thu Hang also stressed the interest that the two sides pay to strengthening relations in other important areas such as security, defence, education, training, culture, labor issues and tourism.

On the other hand, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Lai Thai Binh appreciated that the president's visit will contribute to strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries in a comprehensive manner, providing practical benefits to the two peoples and maintaining peace and stability. Cooperation and development in the region and the world.

In statements to the VNA news agency, the diplomat stressed that the visit is of great importance for strengthening ASEAN solidarity and the central role of the bloc, especially amid the complex and unexpected political and security fluctuations occurring in the region and beyond.

The Philippines and Vietnam share many similarities in geographical location, population size, level of development, as well as history, culture and people, which constitute a suitable basis for strengthening cooperation, especially in implementing goals related to social and economic progress. He said.

Regarding the latter, the ambassador stressed the intention to reach $10 billion in bilateral trade in the near future.

lam/mpm