Philippines, Vietnam Forge Enhanced Partnership
The agreement emerged from high-level talks between visiting Vietnamese President To Lam and Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila, as outlined in a joint statement issued following the meeting.
To Lam, who also serves as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, touched down in Manila on Sunday for his first-ever state visit — a trip coinciding with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations and a decade of strategic partnership.
On maritime affairs — a particularly sensitive dimension given both countries' overlapping claims in the South China Sea — the two sides pledged to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms, including implementation of their "understanding on incident prevention and management" in the disputed waters, along with enhanced coast guard collaboration. Both governments committed to resolving maritime incidents through peaceful and amicable means in accordance with international law.
The two presidents expressed their determination to build upon the gains of the current program of political-security cooperation, maritime safety and security collaboration, marine environmental protection, trade and investment expansion, agricultural exchanges, education, tourism, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
On the economic front, both sides set an ambitious target, expressing their desire to surpass the $10 billion bilateral trade threshold while pursuing a more balanced trade relationship through expanded two-way commerce, improved market access, and the dismantling of trade and investment barriers.
Agriculture emerged as another pillar of the reinvigorated partnership, with both governments pledging closer collaboration through joint research and development spanning rice, fisheries, sustainable blue economy initiatives, smart agriculture, disaster management, and climate change adaptation.
The two sides also committed to intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing through intelligence sharing, capacity building, and coordinated fisheries law enforcement.
The summit concluded with both leaders witnessing the formal exchange of several bilateral agreements, cementing the new chapter in Manila-Hanoi relations.
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