General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm (left) and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. co-chaired a press conference announcing the outcomes of their talks on June 1 in Manila. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

MANILA — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on Monday afternoon witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation documents between ministries and agencies of the two countries and met with the press to announce the results of their earlier talks.

The signed documents included a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation between the Ministry of National Defence of Việt Nam and the Ministry of Defence of the Philippines; a MoU on cooperation in information technology and digital transformation between the Ministry of Science and Technology of Việt Nam and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines; and a Tourism Cooperation Programme for 2026–29 between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Việt Nam and the Ministry of Tourism of the Philippines; and a MoU between the Academy of Public Administration and Management under the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics of Việt Nam, and the University of the Philippines.

At the press conference, Philippine President Marcos Jr. expressed his honour and pleasure at welcoming General Secretary and President Lâm on his state visit to the Philippines, a testament to the long-standing friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries. This is even more significant as the two countries marked the upgrading of their relationship to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

The Philippine President stated that the two leaders had previously held successful and comprehensive talks, reflecting a shared vision for long-term prosperity and a firm commitment to regional stability. This will undoubtedly propel the bilateral relations to a new level.

Regarding cooperation in the fields of defence and security, the two sides witnessed the signing and exchange of important defence agreements, contributing to promoting the joint capabilities of the two countries in the fields of maritime security and disaster prevention. Both sides reaffirmed their determination to maintain peace and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; and their commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means based on international law. Both sides acknowledged the need to reach a common agreement to address serious borderless threats such as online fraud and human trafficking.

Regarding economic and agricultural cooperation, both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Currently, Việt Nam is the 11th largest trading partner of the Philippines. Both sides committed to creating a favourable environment for two-way investment, especially in the processing, manufacturing, and digital economy sectors; strengthening tourism cooperation, connectivity, and increasing commercial flights; and promoting education and training.

Regarding regional cooperation, both sides strongly reaffirmed their mission to jointly promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s development, with the people at the centre, ensuring that initiatives and strategies directly transform society into a safer, more secure, and more prosperous one.

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. witness the signing of cooperation documents between the two countries following official talks in Manila on June 1. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

The Philippine President emphasised that the talks clarified the shared determination and vision, and that Việt Nam and the Philippines will deepen, strengthen, and enhance the effectiveness of their strategic partnership for the benefit of the people of both countries, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

For his, General Secretary and President Lâm affirmed that Việt Nam and the Philippines are two neighbouring countries at sea, important partners in the region, and also members of ASEAN, sharing a common vision and strategic interests and both strongly committed to peace, stability, and the rule of international law. Over the past 50 years, despite many ups and downs, the friendship and cooperation between the two countries have been continuously nurtured and developed in many fields. Vietnam's consistent policy is to always treasure and wish to further strengthen cooperative relations with the Philippines.

During the talks, the two sides had an open and sincere exchange on the situation in each country and shared assessments of the Việt Nam–Philippines bilateral relationship, noting that after 50 years of development, it has become increasingly profound, substantive, stable, trustworthy, and sustainable in the long term, based on mutual respect and a strong commitment to supporting multilateralism and international cooperation. They emphasised the importance of adhering to international law, including the United Nations Charter and the ASEAN Charter.

The two sides also had an in-depth exchange on the global and regional situation and agreed that the two countries need to coordinate more closely to respond more effectively to the changing situation for the benefit of both countries, and for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

The General Secretary and President stated that, based on the good friendship and the interests and aspirations of the people of both countries, the two sides agreed to elevate the Vietnam-Philippines bilateral relationship to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, focusing on strengthening political trust and consolidating a solid strategic foundation for the bilateral relations; consolidating and expanding security and defence cooperation, maritime and ocean cooperation, and establishing and vigorously implementing cooperation mechanisms; creating breakthroughs in economic cooperation; promoting substantive cooperation in several priority areas; and closely coordinating at regional and international forums.

Both sides emphasised the importance of international law and the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and the principles of equality, cooperation, and mutual benefit; reaffirmed peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; and stressed the need to resolve disputes peacefully on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

On this occasion, the two sides signed several important cooperation documents; and agreed to assign relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to closely coordinate and effectively implement these agreements, the Vietnamese leader added. — VNA/VNS