MARCOS SETS VIETNAM VISIT
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is scheduled for an official visit to Vietnam in January 2024, as both nations aim to revitalize their strategic alliance established in 2015.
During the opening statements at the 10th Philippine-Vietnam Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation meeting on Wednesday, August 2, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo emphasized that this visit will offer an occasion for President Marcos and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong to deliberate on enhancing their bilateral relationship.
Manalo stated: “President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently finished his first year in office, and we have seen a remarkable display of trust and confidence between our two countries.”
On the sidelines of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia, Marcos and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concurred on the need to strengthen their strategic partnership by broadening their cooperation across various domains, including defense and security.
The President also endeavored to formulate an agreement to prevent any untoward incidents in the South China Sea.
“And that’s why, I have asked our foreign ministers, ating Foreign Secretary and then the Foreign Minister of Vietnam to begin, develop the talks so that we can have an agreement na hindi na siguro magkaproblema ng mga ganyang klase,” he said.
The impending state visit is timed with the conclusion of the five-year Plan of Action for Manila and Hanoi in 2024.
Manalo explained: “[O]ur Plan of Action is set to conclude its five-year term in 2024, hence we need to negotiate a new plan and reinvigorate it. This will serve as the guiding framework for our strategic partnership for another five years.”
Among the areas that Manila seeks to bolster in collaboration with Hanoi are maritime coordination, advancement of trade and investment, fostering people-to-people exchanges, and fostering cooperation within ASEAN and other international forums, among various other aspects.
