Top Vietnamese leader holds talks with Philippine President in Manila

President Marcos warmly welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation to the Philippines, noting that the visit is particularly significant as it is the first ever by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam to the Philippines and coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations (1976–2026).

Marcos highlighted that Viet Nam is the only Southeast Asian country with which the Philippines has established a Strategic Partnership, underscoring the importance Manila places on the relationship. The upgrade of the bilateral ties to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, he said, will further deepen cooperation and open a new phase of collaboration in politics, defense, security, and other key areas, benefiting both peoples and contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

During the talks, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong progress of the Strategic Partnership since its establishment in 2015, particularly following President Marcos' state visit to Viet Nam in January 2024. They agreed to issue a Joint Statement on upgrading bilateral relations to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, laying the foundation for broader and deeper cooperation in the years ahead.

To implement the new partnership framework, both sides concurred to develop an action program in the near future. They pledged to strengthen political trust through increasing high-level exchanges and delegation visits, enhancing the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms, and promoting closer ties across all channels, sectors, levels, and localities.

The two leaders also agreed to expand substantive cooperation in defense, security, maritime and ocean affairs. They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight, preserving peace and stability in the region, and strengthening coordination in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, protecting the marine environment, and advancing sustainable fisheries development.

On the economic sphere, both sides identified key directions to generate new momentum for cooperation and deliver tangible benefits to their peoples. They agreed to work toward raising bilateral trade to US$10 billion at the earliest opportunity by reducing trade barriers, diversifying exports, expanding market access for agricultural products, including fresh fruits, and promoting cooperation in emerging sectors such as the digital, green and blue economies, high-tech agriculture, and renewable energy. Enhanced collaboration in agriculture, forestry and fisheries trade was also highlighted as a priority.

Both To Lam and Marcos agreed to encourage relevant agencies to facilitate investment and trade promotion activities for businesses from both countries. Appreciating Viet Nam's important role in supplying rice and fertilizers to support the Philippines' food security, President Marcos proposed the two countries convene the third meeting of the Philippines–Viet Nam Joint Committee on Trade at an early date and accelerate the implementation of existing agreements in line with rules of the World Trade Organization.

The Philippine leader also reaffirmed his country's openness to Vietnamese investment in sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare and digital transformation, pledging favorable policies and a conducive environment for Vietnamese enterprises.

In education, culture and people-to-people exchanges, President Marcos expressed hope for stronger tourism links and expanded cooperation among universities, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.

The two leaders also concurred to prioritize cooperation in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, infrastructure connectivity, expansion of direct air links, and stronger partnerships between major seaports. They further committed to sharing experience in digital transformation, e-government development, artificial intelligence applications and smart city initiatives.

On regional and international issues, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly within the United Nations and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). President Marcos thanked Viet Nam for its support during the Philippines' ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026.

Both sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight, while resolving disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 

They also pledged to work closely with other ASEAN member states to advance negotiations on an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea that is consistent with international law, particularly the UNCLOS 1982.

The two leaders agreed to direct ministries, agencies and local authorities of both countries to closely coordinate in implementing the agreements reached, thereby bringing the Viet Nam–Philippines Enhanced Strategic Partnership into a new stage of comprehensive and dynamic development./.