PH, Vietnam renew commitment to bolster ties

President Ferdinand R. Marcosm Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday afternoon for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and related meetings on Monday and Tuesday. (PPA POOL)

KUALA LUMPUR – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday renewed their commitment to bolster diplomatic cooperation between their nations on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit here. 

In a bilateral meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre,  Marcos pointed out that their senior diplomats are in talks to elevate their existing strategic partnership into a comprehensive strategic partnership.

“Our ministers are in discussion on the possibility of elevating the strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership. I believe there are already productive conversations between our two countries,” the President said.

For his part, Pham acknowledged the “remarkable progress” in their bilateral cooperation since Marcos’ state visit to Vietnam in January 2024.

“I hope that it has come to the point where we can elevate the strategic partnership between our two countries,” Pham said. 

They also recognized the expanding economic and trade cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam, particularly the collaboration in agriculture, food security and enhanced people-to-people exchanges in education, tourism, and cultural engagement.

The Philippines and Vietnam will mark the 10th year of its strategic partnership this year. 

At the start of the meeting,  Marcos expressed his sympathies to Pham on the passing of former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong last May 20.

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