The event, co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet and Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Theresa P. Lazaro, was to implement the agreement reached at the 9th meeting of the Vietnam - Philippines Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in 2019.

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The officials shared the view on the strong development of the two countries’ strategic partnership in all fields.

Lazaro affirmed that Vietnam is an important strategic partner of her country in the region.

Both sides agreed to propose the countries’ foreign ministers hold in-depth discussion about cooperation areas of common interest, including politics, defence, security, economy, trade, investment, maritime cooperation, and other fields, at the 10th JCBC meeting on August 2.

They stressed the importance of holding more meetings at all levels and bringing into play current bilateral mechanisms.

Viet said maritime cooperation plays a key role in the Vietnam - Philippines strategic partnership.

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The officials agreed that their countries will continue expanding maritime cooperation, boost information sharing, further capitalise on existing mechanisms, and work closely with each other in the settlement of issues related to fishermen and vessels in the spirit of the strategic partnership and the ASEAN solidarity.

At the consultation, they also looked into some international and regional issues of common concern and pledged that the two countries will keep close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums such as the United Nations and ASEAN.

The enhancement of the political trust and strategic partnership on both bilateral and multilateral dimensions will help the countries respond more effectively to challenges, work towards sustainable development, and help secure peace and stability for the region, they added.

Over the past four decades, the partnership and friendship between Vietnam and the Philippines witnessed good developments with high-level visits by the heads of state and leaders of the two countries, including the upcoming visit by President Marcos.

Previously, the two countries also exchanged delegations at the ministerial and official levels. At the 10th meeting of the two countries’ joint commission on bilateral cooperation in August 2023, the two sides agreed to effectively deploy bilateral cooperation mechanisms including the Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Ocean Concerns, the Joint Sub-Committee on Trade, the Joint Working Group on Agriculture, and the Joint Working Group in Fisheries.

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The Philippines is ready to cooperate closely with the Party, State, Government, and people of Vietnam to make long-term contributions to the bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Regarding the significance of the upcoming Vietnam visit by President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., the Filipino diplomat said that the visit is an important milestone and will open up many opportunities for the two countries to further deepen their relationship for the benefit of their people, and for the peace and prosperity of the region.

Meanwhile, assessing Vietnam’s current position in the region, Ambassador Montealegre said that Vietnam has made many contributions to the region.

The Philippines appreciates the great economic achievements that Vietnam made in 2023 despite many challenges in the global economy, he said.