President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, on the first day of his official visit to Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, as both nations reaffirmed their commitment to upgrading the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Vietnam.

Marcos said his bilateral meeting with Chinh has opened opportunities for both the Philippines and Vietnam to explore new areas of cooperation and economic partnership, particularly for trade and agriculture.

“We have made a good deal of progress since our very first discussion and some of the engagements between our two countries. And I am very happy that we will be able to pursue that,” said Marcos.

According to the President Communications Office, both leaders have expressed their shared commitment to celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Philippines-Vietnam Strategic Partnership in 2025 “by advancing collaboration in key sectors.”

During the meeting, Marcos also extended his heartfelt condolences for the losses caused by Typhoon Yagi and the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Chinh, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to Marcos for extending his condolences to typhoon victims, the people of Vietnam, and the family of the late General Secretary as he reaffirmed Vietnam’s “unwavering support” for expanding its strategic partnership with the Philippines.