Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. at their meeting on May 26 in Kuala Lumpur. — VNA/VNS Photo

KUALA LUMPUR — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính had a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on Monday afternoon on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit and related high-level meetings, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

During the meeting, the Philippine President extended his deepest condolences to the State, Government, and people of Việt Nam on the passing of former President Trần Đức Lương.

He appreciated the positive progress in the relations between the Philippines and Việt Nam – the only ASEAN nation that has established a strategic partnership with the Philippines – and expressed his hope that both sides will continue to promote comprehensive cooperation to elevate the ties to a new height.

President Marcos Jr. stated that the two countries have an ample room and potential for cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, security and defence, agriculture, rice import-export, and renewable energy.

PM Chính congratulated the Philippines on the successful organisation of the midterm elections, in which the ruling coalition led by the Federal Party of the Philippines (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas-PFP) secured a majority in the House of Representatives. He emphasised the significance of the year 2025, as it marks the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries, and looks towards the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026.

On the basis of this strong friendship, the PM proposed both sides actively promote key areas of collaboration in the coming time, give high priority to exchanges of high-level and all-level delegations; facilitate bilateral trade with the goal of raising two-way trade to US$10 billion at an early date; and strengthen cooperation in ensuring food security and combating climate change.

Discussing international and regional issues of mutual concern, the two leaders agreed to continue supporting each other at multilateral forums and to actively work with other ASEAN member states and China to promote substantive and effective negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). — VNA/VNS