Creating new momentum to boost Vietnam-Philippines relations.

The visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to the Philippines is expected to create new momentum and further deepen and concretize the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Đài truyền hình Việt Nam•27/05/2026

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos and his wife, General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, along with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will pay a state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1.

This visit is of historical significance, as it marks the first time the General Secretary and President of Vietnam has paid a state visit to the Philippines. The visit is expected to open up new areas of cooperation and further develop bilateral relations in the future.

At Thai Nguyen University, within its campus, there is a statue of President Ho Chi Minh and a portrait of Philippine national hero José Rizal. In the Philippines, there are similar statues of the two leaders and liberation heroes of the two nations, located on the campus of Laguna National Polytechnic University. This is vivid evidence of the traditionally good relationship between the two countries, including deep cooperation in the field of education and training.

Ms. Francis Geren Sta. Ana (Filipino lecturer at Thai Nguyen University) shared: "Through my research, I learned that both leaders strongly believe in the power of education in transforming individuals and societies. I feel honored to be contributing to strengthening the good relationship between the two countries by training generations of students with global competitiveness."

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1976, over the past 50 years, the relationship between Vietnam and the Philippines has developed positively in many areas. A highlight is economic and trade cooperation. Currently, bilateral trade volume stands at approximately US$8.3 billion and is aiming for US$10 billion.

"This will be an opportunity for both sides to look back on the cooperation over the past 50 years. Bilateral cooperation areas range from trade, culture, and security to cooperation within ASEAN and at multilateral forums. Therefore, the visit is extremely important because the two countries will jointly plan a vision for Philippines-Vietnam relations for the next 50 years," said Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III (Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam).

The state visit to the Philippines by General Secretary and President To Lam is expected to open up new areas of cooperation, as the two countries currently have enormous potential and strengths in which to develop.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong stated: "Through this visit, we expect that economic cooperation between Vietnam and the Philippines will be strongly promoted and become a solid pillar for Vietnam-Philippines relations in the future. Currently, there is still much room for cooperation in economics, trade, and tourism between Vietnam and the Philippines. Especially in areas where both countries have strengths and complement each other, such as agriculture, food security, and climate change mitigation."

With a solid foundation of relations, the visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to the Philippines, especially the meeting between the top leaders of the two countries, is expected to create new momentum and further deepen and concretize the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Source: https://vtv.vn/tao-dong-luc-moi-thuc-day-quan-he-viet-nam-philippines-100260527214516157.htm