Marcos, Chinh eye new areas of cooperation

(UPDATES) VIENTIANE, Laos — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh have agreed to explore new areas of cooperation as they reaffirmed their commitment to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries. During the bilateral meeting here on Tuesday night, Marcos said the official engagements and discussions between the Philippines and Vietnam two years ago are bearing fruit. "We have made a good deal of progress since our very first discussion and some of the engagements between our two countries. And I am very happy that we will be able to pursue that," Marcos said. "And it also gives us the opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation and of partnership," he added. The effort to forge cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam comes amid heightened maritime tensions, with Beijing's increasingly assertive actions affecting both countries as it lays claim to nearly the entire South China Sea (SCS). The Philippines and Vietnam signed agreements in late January this year to prevent incidents in the SCS and broaden cooperation between their coast guards. The agreements, along with discussions on enhancing information-sharing and training exchanges between the Philippine and Vietnamese militaries, were forged during Marcos' visit to Hanoi. The Philippines and Vietnam have had tense confrontations with China in the South China Sea, a key route for global trade. "The South China Sea remains to be a point of contention," Marcos said at the meeting with Chinh last January. "We are firm in defending our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction against any provocations. But, at the same time, we are also seeking to address these issues with China through peaceful dialogue and consultations as two equal sovereign states," he added. The Vietnamese leader also reaffirmed his country's commitment to the Philippines. "I want to reaffirm that we always support the strategic partnership with the Philippines. I'm glad to note that the discussions that we began two years ago have been implemented effectively," Chinh said. Marcos and Chinh also expressed their shared commitment to celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Philippines-Vietnam Strategic Partnership in 2025 by developing collaboration in key sectors. Meanwhile, Marcos also condoled with Chinh over the losses caused by Typhoon Yagi and the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. This was Marcos' first bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th Association of the Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Summits. Marcos is also scheduled to meet with the heads of Canada, New Zealand and Japan.