Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong on Tuesday hosts a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace for Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. in Hanoi on Tuesday morning, as the latter was on a two-day State visit to the country.
President Vo Van Thuong (left) and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. review the guards of honour at an official welcome ceremony in Hanoi on January 30.
21-gun salute for the Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng
This is the first visit of Philippine President Marcos Jr to Vietnam since taking office in June 2022.
The visit aims to reaffirm the strong strategic partnership between the two countries, enhance political trust at the highest levels, and generate momentum to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields, on the eve of significant milestones in the bilateral relationship, including the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2025 and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026.
Vietnam and the Philippines officially established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1976. Over the years, the friendly and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries has significantly developed and deepened, especially since the establishment of the strategic partnership in November 2015.
In recent years, economic cooperation has been a bright spot in the relationship between the two countries. The Philippines is currently the leading rice consumer market for Vietnam, with the rice export volume to the Philippines reaching 3.1 million tons (worth about US$1.75 billion) in 2023, accounting for over 38 per cent of the country's total rice exports.
Following the solemn welcome ceremony, the two presidents began their official talks.
