Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse arrived in Hanoi on Monday afternoon for a two-day state visit to Vietnam, aimed at creating new momentum for bilateral cooperation in all fields. 

This is the first visit to Vietnam by President Marcos since his taking office in 2022.

The visit is made at the invitation of State President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Philippine leader and his entourage were welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi by Chairman of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Lai Thai Binh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, and other officials.

President Marcos was accompanied by Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, a number of Philippine ministers, and a Philippine Coast Guard representative, among others.

President Thuong will chair an official reception for his Philippine counterpart in Hanoi on Tuesday, and the two leaders will then hold talks and witness the signing of a number of cooperation agreements. 

The host and guest have been scheduled to jointly visit the Thang Long Imperial Citadel on Tuesday afternoon.

The Philippine president will also have separate meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Marcos' visit comes at a time when the two countries are set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership next year. 

The trip aims to beef up mutual political trust, strengthen the strategic partnership, and create a new impetus for boosting bilateral cooperation in all fields, the Vietnam News Agency quoted Ambassador Binh in an interview ahead of the visit.

Against the backdrop of political and security uncertainties in the region and the world, encompassing issues such as the situation in Myanmar and the East Vietnam Sea, this visit holds particular significance in terms of fortifying ASEAN's unity and maintaining its centrality, Binh said.

Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre told the media that the visit will help strengthen the relationship between the Philippine president and Vietnam's highest-ranking leaders while further promoting strategic cooperation for mutual interests in peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. 

After 48 years of diplomatic relations, the relationship between Vietnam and the Philippines has developed fruitfully in multifaceted areas.

Political cooperation has been enhanced through many high-level visits and meetings.

Economic cooperation between the two nations has also developed well, with the Philippines being Vietnam’s 6th-largest trading partner in ASEAN and  16th in the world.

The Philippines continues to be Vietnam’s largest rice export market, with exports reaching 2.63 million tonnes valued at US$1.41 billion in the first 11 months of 2023, according to official figures.

Cooperation in other fields such as security, defense, education, training, culture, labor, and tourism has also been boosted.

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

Vietnam and the Philippines are part of the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, whose eight other member states include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.  

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