PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has accepted the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Vietnam, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

During Marcos' bilateral talk with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits here, the President said he was told to come to the Asian neighbor upon the invitation of his counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

DFA Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Neal Imperial told reporters Wednesday the visit might probably happen next year, "on a mutually agreed date."

"We don’t know yet . That’s determined later," Imperial said.

The President sat down with Pham and discussed the Philippines and Vietnam's ties on defense and maritime security as well as agriculture and trade.

Office of the Press Secretary Officer-in-Charge Cheloy Garafil said Marcos pushed for continued dialogues on defense and maritime issues, including intelligence and strategies exchanges in dealing with maritime concerns, as these would be beneficial for both countries.

On the economy, Marcos noted an increase in total trade between the two countries, with overall trade nearing USD 6 billion, even higher than pre-pandemic levels. However, there is still a significant trade imbalance between the two, which the President hoped Vietnam will help address.

Marcos also counted on Vietnam, being the country’s top source of rice, in ensuring food security.