The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) has strengthened cooperation with Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance through a knowledge-sharing initiative focused on public debt management, sovereign financing, and capital market development.

The Treasury said it hosted officials from Vietnam’s Department of Debt Management and Foreign Economic Relations on 1 June for a peer-learning exchange on bond issuances and public debt management, providing a platform for both countries to share experiences, best practices, and policy approaches in sovereign financing.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Director General Nguyen Quoc Phuong and Deputy Director General Nguyen Yen Hai. The visit began with a courtesy call on Treasurer of the Philippines Sharon P. Almanza and senior Treasury officials, during which both sides discussed their respective macroeconomic environments, debt management priorities, and opportunities for deeper cooperation in public finance.

During the sessions, Treasury officials presented the Philippines’ public debt management framework, including the Bureau’s mandate, the country’s Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy, and coordination mechanisms among economic agencies in managing public debt.

The discussions also covered the regulatory and institutional frameworks for sovereign borrowing, public debt risk management practices, investor relations programs, credit-rating strategies, and the processes governing local and international bond issuances.

Vietnamese President Tô Lâm paid a state visit to the Philippines from 31 May to 1 June, during which the two countries elevated their relationship to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

On the same day Treasury and Vietnamese officials met, Philippine and Vietnamese businesses signed 15 agreements spanning tourism, energy, technology, agriculture, healthcare, and trade.

The agreements included a cooperation pact between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry aimed at expanding trade and investment exchanges, facilitating business missions, and promoting greater collaboration between the private sectors of both countries.