Maritime cooperation a cornerstone in Vietnam visit: BBM

PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. arrived yesterday in Vietnam where he will seek to strengthen ties between Manila and Hanoi and areas of cooperation including maritime, defense and security.

The President, accompanied by First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos and the Philippine delegation, arrived at around 3:05 p.m. (4:05 p.m. in Manila) at the Noi Bai International Airport where they were welcomed by Vietnamese officials.

The First Couple left Manila around 11:05 a.m.

Before leaving, the President said his visit to Vietnam is important as it is the only strategic partner of the Philippines in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

“Maritime cooperation will be one of the cornerstones of the strategic partnership which we are going to forge, and we hope to strengthen this aspect during my visit to promote peace and stability in our region,” he said.

“I will also discuss cooperation in defense and security, trade and investments, education, tourism, as well as regional and multilateral issues of [mutual] concern,” he added.

The President said 39 agreements will be signed or exchanged between the Philippines and Vietnam during his visit. These are in the fields of trade and investments, customs, air services, agriculture, visa waivers for diplomatic and official passport holders, visa facilitation, tourism, among others.

He also said the Philippines and Vietnam have “vast array of opportunities, especially in a post-pandemic world.”

Upon arrival in Hanoi, the President met with executives of the Vingroup Company – the largest Vietnamese private company which focuses on technology, industry, real estate development, retail, and services ranging from healthcare to hospitality.

It is estimated to be worth $21.1. billion as of April 2023 while its subsidiary VinFast, was valued at $15 billion.

VinFast plans to sell electric vehicles (EVs) in the Philippines through dealership business by April to test the local market. It plans to engage in the manufacture and assembly of CKD EVs depending on the outcome of its market tests.

Marcos also met with the Filipino community in Vietnam and thanked them for their contributions to strengthening connections between