Marcos reaffirms PH’s strong ties with Vietnam, Timor-Leste

President Marcos has reaffirmed the Philippines commitment to strengthen its relations with Vietnam and Timor-Leste.

Marcos expressed the country’s intention as he welcomed the two countries’ envoys to Manila on Tuesday, Jan. 2, during their presentation of credentials.

The President told Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Philippines Lai Thai Binh that he hopes to explore various areas of cooperation to strengthen the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Vietnam.

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Manila, to the Philippines as the Ambassador of Vietnam to our country,” he said.

“It is just in time as we have many things planned between our two countries and I’m very happy to have received your letter of credence,” he added.

Marcos stressed that with Lai’s presence in Manila, the two countries can explore many different areas, stressing the many hours of meeting he have had with Vietnam’s prime minister in several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gatherings.

“And I think that there are many, many more things that your PM and I have discussed for many hours during our ASEAN meetings. We have many areas that we can explore. For that, I look forward to doing that,” he said.

Lai, on the other hand, told Marcos that he is looking forward to the “kind attention and guidance to our bilateral relations.”

The Chief Executive also welcomed Marciano Octavio Garcia Da Silva as resident Ambassador-Designate of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the Philippines.

“It is a great deal of pleasure that we are here to accept your letters of credence and to welcome you to the Philippines as ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Republic of the Philippines,” Marcos said.

“This is indicative of the growing partnership that your country and mine through our bilateral relationships, together with the multilateral relationships, have progressed in the last few years,” he added.

Marcos previously met with President José Ramos-Horta in November 2023 during the Timorese leader’s four-day State Visit to the country.

During the state visit, President Marcos reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to support Timor-Leste in development through the “South-South Cooperation.”

The Philippines and Timor-Leste celebrated 21 years of diplomatic relations in May 2023 while Vietnam and the Philippines officially established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1976. — Betheena Unite