President of the Philippines Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — President of the Philippines Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., along with his spouse, will make a State visit to Việt Nam from January 29-30 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Võ Văn Thưởng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng said during the regular press conference on Thursday.

This marks the first visit of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. to Việt Nam since taking office in June 2022.

In recent years, the relationship between Việt Nam and the Philippines has witnessed positive development across various domains. Political cooperation has been strengthened through high-level visits and meetings, Hằng said. Economic collaboration between the two countries has also seen great advancements, with the Philippines being Việt Nam's 6th largest trading partner in ASEAN and the 16th largest globally. The Philippines remains the largest market for Vietnamese rice exports.

Collaboration in other crucial areas such as national security, defence, education, training, labour, culture and tourism continues to be emphasised.

The two countries also maintain close coordination in regional and international forums such as ASEAN, the United Nations and APEC, according to the spokesperson.

During the visit, it is anticipated that the President of the Philippines will hold talks with President Thưởng and engage in key meetings with Việt Nam's top leaders, as well as other activities.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng addresses the press briefing in Hà Nội on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting

According to the foreign ministry's spokesperson, at the invitation of Laos' Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, Việt Nam's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn will be participating in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Luang Prabang, Laos, during January 28-29.

This event serves as the kick-off for Laos' ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, under the theme "Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience."

The AMM Retreat provides an opportunity for ASEAN countries to align their directions and prioritise key areas of ASEAN cooperation throughout 2024. The focus includes enhancing ASEAN's external relations, exchanging views and promoting ASEAN's common approach to regional and international issues.

Following the participation in the AMM Retreat in Laos, from January 31 to February 2, Minister Sơn will attend the 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum and the 24th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

At the 24th EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting, ASEAN and the EU will review their cooperation, exchange measures to strengthen collaboration in the coming period, particularly implementing the outcomes of the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit in 2022, as well as discuss international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Participating in the 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum provides Việt Nam with an opportunity to robustly promote relations with the EU and its member countries, share and learn from international experiences in areas where both sides have strengths and mutual interests, and contribute to the mobilisation of resources to realise Việt Nam's development goals, including green growth and addressing climate change.

The visit and activities in Belgium aim to continue implementing the achievements from Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính's visit to Belgium in December 2022, as well as to enhance bilateral ties with Belgium across all sectors.

It is expected that during the working visit, Minister Sơn will hold talks with his Belgian counterpart and participate in other important activities. — VNS