PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. will undertake a state visit to Vietnam from January 29 to 30, as announced by Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Teresita Daza during a press briefing at Malacañang.
The visit comes in response to an invitation from Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng.
This will be the PBBM’s first visit to Vietnam since assuming office in 2022 and the first outbound state visit for the year.
Accompanying the Chief Executive will be his key Cabinet members, including the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and members of his economic team.
“During the visit, the President will meet with leaders of Vietnam, namely President Thưởng; His Excellency Phạm Minh Chính, Prime Minister of Vietnam; and His Excellency Vương Đình Huệ, Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam,“ according to Usec. Maria Teresita Daza, Spokesperson, DFA.
Food security, trade, and maritime cooperation to be discussed during Pres. Marcos’ state visit to Vietnam
In the same briefing, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Aileen Mendiola-Rau of the DFA’s Office of the Asian and Pacific Affairs (ASPAC) stated that the state visit aligns with the President’s commitment to ensuring food security in the Philippines.
There will be in-depth discussions on agricultural cooperation between the two countries. Asec. Mendiola-Rau mentioned that Vietnam has long been a partner of the Philippines, pledging support for our country’s rice requirements.
“The Department of Agriculture and their counterpart in Vietnam are working on an agreement that will ensure the continued supply of rice to the Philippines. They are setting some targets. But more details on that come soon, once we finish the negotiations on the rice deal,“ said Asec. Aileen Mendiola-Rau, DFA-Office of the Asian & Pacific Affairs.
The President will also engage with the business sector to promote economic and investment ties between the Philippines and Vietnam.
Talks will include matters concerning the maritime sector, with an agreement on how the coast guards of both nations can collaborate.
Asec. Mendiola-Rau further revealed that the Philippines and Vietnam have deep cooperation in various fields, including defense and security, as well as people-to-people relations.
“And we have selected Vietnam as the country because of our relations with Vietnam has spanned for almost 50 years with the establishment of bilateral relations in 1976,“ Rau added.
The Philippines and Vietnam aim to strengthen bilateral trade to reach $10 billion in the coming years. As anticipated, the President will also meet with the Filipino community, highlighting the friendship between the Philippines and Vietnam.
About 7,000 Filipinos work and reside in Vietnam, most of whom are professionals.
