Viet Nam, Philippines work to deepen strategic partnership

NA Chairman Hue will discuss with Philippine leaders measures to foster bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership.

The visit, made at the invitation of President of the Philippine Senate Juan Miguel Zubiri, is the first official visit to the country by a key leader of Viet Nam in 2022 and by an NA chairperson of Viet Nam after 16 years. 

Vuong is also one of the first foreign parliamentary leaders to visit the Philippines after the country successfully held the general elections in May 2022 and elected new leaders to its House of Representatives and Senate in July.

The visit demonstrates the importance Viet Nam attaches to the new leadership of the Philippines and the countries’ strategic partnership.

Despites difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides have effectively maintained contact at all levels. 

The two-way trade turnover reached a record US$ 6.8 billion in 2021 and over US$ 6 billion in the first nine months of 2022.

By the end of December 2021, the Philippines had 82 valid projects worth US$615 million in Viet Nam, ranking 28th among the 140 countries and territories investing in the latter. 

Meanwhile, Viet Nam had five investment projects worth US$4 million in the Philippines.

Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha was quoted as saying that Viet Nam is one of the three strategic partners of the Philippines, apart from the U.S. and Japan.