PBBM hopes to deepen PH defense, maritime, trade ties with Vietnam

By Priam Nepomuceno, Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

FILE: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the historical significance of the relationship between the Philippines and Viet Nam as he warmly welcomed Vietnamese Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang at Malacañan Palace on Friday. (PCO Photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed optimism that the visit of Vietnam’s Defense Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang to the Philippines would create a new impetus to improve the two nations’ defense, maritime, and trade relations.

In a meeting with Phan at Malacañan Palace in Manila, Marcos emphasized the historical significance of the Philippines’ ties with Vietnam.

“The Philippines and Vietnam have enjoyed good relations and we have continued to progress in those relationships, whereas before comprised only of our diplomatic connection. We now talk about defense cooperation, security cooperation, maritime cooperation, and certainly, on the area of trade as well,” Marcos told Phan.

“Your visit, I think, will serve as a further impetus, further push to increase the depth and the range of our relationship,” Marcos said.

Phan acknowledged that the Philippines and Vietnam have “very good” interactions and dialogues, especially when it comes to “navy-to-navy discussions.”

He said the two nations became closer following Marcos’ visit to Vietnam in Jan. 2024.

“From our side, we highly value and appreciate the State Visit to Vietnam back in January 2024 and that visit opened up new opportunities to further promote and innovate the strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Philippines in various areas that you just mentioned,” Phan said.

This is the first time Phan visited the Philippines since he was appointed as Vietnam’s defense minister on April 8, 2021.

Phan is in the Philippines upon the invitation of his counterpart, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., for the signing of defense cooperation agreements between Manila and Hanoi.

The Philippines and Vietnam formally established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1976.

The relations between the two nations were further elevated, as agreements on rice trade cooperation, incident prevention and management in the South China Sea, agriculture, maritime and cultural cooperation were signed during Marcos’ visit to Hanoi in January this year.

HADR, military medicine cooperation

Following their bilateral meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, the two defense chiefs signed letters of intent (LOIs) on the enhancement of cooperation in the field of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and military medicine.

The LOI on HADR reflects the two nations’ mutual intention to strengthen mitigation of the effects of natural disasters and other increasingly complex security challenges at sea and emphasizes the major role of navies in this regard.

Meanwhile, the LOI on military medicine acknowledges the role of militaries in cross-border public health surveillance and prevention of disease outbreaks, and thereby manifests the interest of both countries to enhance relevant capabilities through joint research and innovations, as well as sharing of knowledge and best practices.

In a statement, the Department of National Defense (DND) said the bilateral meeting between Teodoro and Phan is a “follow-on” to their meeting on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) held in Jakarta, Indonesia in November 2023.

It added that the two officials affirmed their commitment to a rules-based international order firmly anchored on international law and the promotion of sustainable peace, principled security, and regional stability.

“The Ministers noted that as strategic competition permeates the global governance architecture, the role of bridge-builders becomes increasingly important in fostering cooperation and encouraging peace built on a complex web of interactions, rather than geopolitical spheres,” the DND said.

Teodoro and Phan agreed to resolve all disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea/West Philippine Sea/South China Sea.

“In this context, both Ministers affirmed the crucial role of upholding the unity and centrality of ASEAN as the region’s bridge-builder, serving as a uniquely inclusive platform that fosters strategic trust and mutual understanding. Both countries conveyed their support for each other’s initiatives under ASEAN frameworks, particularly within the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting and ADMM-Plus, and undertook to bolster cooperation under these mechanisms,” the DND noted.

The two defense chiefs expressed their unwavering commitment to deepen defense and military cooperation through continued interaction and engagements at all levels.