A new milestone in the Strategic Partnership.

Báo Quốc Tế•28/01/2024

At the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong and his wife, President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his wife will pay a State visit to Vietnam from January 29-30.

Đại sứ Philippines tại Việt Nam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre. (Ảnh: TTXVN)

Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre. (Photo: VNA)

On this occasion, the Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam, Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre, gave an interview to the press about the significance of the visit and the prospects for bilateral relations.

Ambassador, could you share some insights into the significance and purpose of the Philippine President's state visit to Vietnam?

First of all, I would like to convey the gratitude of the Philippine government to the State of Vietnam, especially to President Vo Van Thuong, for extending the invitation to President Ferdinand Marcos to pay a state visit to Vietnam.

This is a milestone in bilateral relations between the Philippines and Vietnam and will contribute to further deepening the relationship between the two countries.

In fact, President Marcos had met with several Vietnamese officials before, but this was his first state visit to Vietnam.

This visit will help to further strengthen the relationship between the President and Vietnam's top leaders.

The visit is of great significance in promoting the friendly relations and partnership between the two countries, which the President's father – former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. – helped establish in 1976.

Looking back on 48 years of cooperation and development, how does the Ambassador assess the achievements that the two countries have made during this time?

As you know, this year we celebrate the 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Philippines, and in two years' time, we will celebrate another important milestone: the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two countries. Before that, the two countries will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of their Strategic Partnership.

Over the past four decades, the partnership and friendly cooperation between Vietnam and the Philippines have developed very well, as evidenced by high-level visits of heads of state and leaders of both countries, including the upcoming visit of the Philippine President to Vietnam.

Previously, the two countries had numerous exchanges of ministerial-level delegations and officials. For example, at the 10th Session of the Vietnam-Philippines Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation in August 2023, both sides agreed to effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the Joint Committee on Maritime and Ocean Issues, the Joint Trade Subcommittee, the Joint Working Group in Agriculture, and the Joint Working Group in Fisheries… Both sides agreed to promote the development of an Action Program to implement the Strategic Partnership for the period 2025-2030; strengthen defense and security cooperation; and strive to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of US$10 billion soon…

Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in other important areas such as agriculture, culture, tourism, education, transportation, science and technology, environment, and people-to-people exchanges; and agreed to continue coordinating and supporting each other in multilateral forums, especially at ASEAN and the United Nations. Overall, the two countries have a very positive and good cooperative relationship. We are ready to cooperate closely with the Party, State, Government, and people of Vietnam to make a lasting contribution to the friendly cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the Philippines.

What expectations does the Ambassador have for this visit to further promote the Vietnam-Philippines Strategic Partnership?

This visit can be considered a significant milestone, opening up many opportunities for the two countries to further deepen their close and friendly relationship. While the agreements to be reached cannot be disclosed yet, they have been actively discussed by various agencies on both sides. Certainly, the two countries will aim for a closer cooperative and partnership relationship, for the benefit of the people of both countries, as well as for peace and prosperity in the region.

Over the years, the two sides have held numerous consultations on important issues such as politics, economics, and people-to-people diplomacy. All these areas will contribute to further strengthening bilateral relations in the coming years.

How does the ambassador assess Vietnam's current position in the region?

Vietnam has made many contributions to the region. The Philippines highly appreciates the tremendous economic achievements that Vietnam attained in 2023, despite numerous challenges in the global economy. At the same time, through its unique Vietnamese-style diplomacy, Vietnam has maintained strong diplomatic relations at the bilateral, regional, and international levels. All of this contributes to affirming Vietnam's role and protecting its interests in the region.

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