President Marcos said his visit to Vietnam has laid the groundwork that will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two Asian countries.

Marcos said this as he concluded his two-day State Visit to Vietnam on Wednesday, Jan. 31.

He arrived at the Villamor Air Base at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. 

In a video uploaded to his social media accounts, the President outlined his official engagements with various groups, both in government and in the business sector. 

”The State Visit aimed to further strengthen our strategic partnership with Vietnam. Vietnam, being our only strategic partner in Asia, and further to explore areas of cooperation while building on existing ones,” he said.

During his visit, President Marcos met Vietnamese President Vo Van Thoung and affirmed their commitment to strengthening relations between the two countries. They likewise witnessed the exchange of agreements between the Philippines and Vietnam.

“We discussed areas of cooperation including defense, maritime, trade and investment, economic, education, tourism, and culture. We also witnessed the exchange of several agreements, including on rice, agriculture, culture, and maritime cooperation,” he said.

Marcos also had separate meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minster Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, where they discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations to people-to-people exchanges, parliamentary cooperation, and many other areas of collaboration.

In terms of trade and investment, the President said the government successfully safeguarded the interest of Filipino businesses operating in Vietnam.

“We have successfully safeguarded the interest of Filipino businesses operating in Vietnam by providing them with the platform to voice their experiences, plans, and challenges at the very highest level,” he said.

“We want to assure them that the Philippine government stands ready to support in their endeavors in competing foreign markets,” he said.

Regarding his meeting with Vietnamese business leaders, Marcos said the group had expressed their interest in expanding their businesses in the Philippines and exploring cooperation with the business sector in various traditional and non-traditional economic activities. 

His dialogue with VinGroup Company opened up possible collaboration to explore the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), medical courses, and granting scholarships for Filipino students.

Other topics they have discussed include the two countries' active participation in the electric vehicle and battery supply chains.

Finally, Marcos recalled his meeting with the members of the Filipino community in Vietnam, where he expressed his appreciation for their work.

“I had the pleasure of course to speak with the Filipinos living in Vietnam, and I expressed my appreciation for their continued good work in projecting a very positive image of the Philippines in Vietnam,” he said.

“I acknowledge the sacrifice that they have made for their families and I lauded them for their contributions to the socio-economic development of the Philippines and of Vietnam,” he stressed.

The President vowed that his administration will continue to strive for the betterment of Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad.