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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. returned to the Philippines on Wednesday morning from his two-day state visit to Viet Nam, laying the groundwork that will further strengthen the two countries’ strategic partnership.

In his arrival statement posted online, Marcos outlined his official engagements with various groups, both in government and in the business sector.

“I am pleased to inform you and the Filipino people of the outcomes of the state visit to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The state visit aim to further strengthen our strategic partnership with Viet Nam,” he said.

“Viet Nam, being our only strategic partner in Asia and further to explore areas of cooperation while building on existing ones.”

Marcos arrived at the Villamor Air Base at 3:30 am on Wednesday.

Marcos had a meeting with Viet Nam President Vo Van Thoung where they affirmed their commitment to strengthen relations and witnessed the exchange of agreements between the Philippines and Viet Nam.

“We discussed areas of cooperation including defense, maritime, trade and investment, economic, education, tourism and culture. We also witnessed the exchange of several agreements, including on rice, agriculture, culture and maritime cooperation,” he said.

Marcos also had separate meetings with Viet Nam Prime Minster Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, where they discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations to people-to-people exchanges, parliamentary cooperation, and many other areas of collaboration.

In terms of trade and investment, Marcos assured the government successfully safeguarded the interest of Filipino businesses operating in Viet Nam.

“We have successfully safeguarded the interest of Filipino businesses operating in Viet Nam by providing them with the platform to voice their experiences, plans, and challenges at the very highest level,” he said.

“We want to assure them that the Philippine government stands ready to support in their endeavors in competing foreign markets,” he said.

In his meeting with Vietnamese business leaders, Marcos said the group had expressed their interest in expanding their businesses in the Philippines as well as exploring cooperation with business sector in various traditional and non-traditional economic activities.

His dialogue with VinGroup Company opened up to possible collaboration to explore he fields of AI, medical courses and granting scholarships for Filipino students. Other topics they have discussed include the two countries active participation in the electric vehicle and battery supply chains.

The chief executive also did not pass the opportunity to meet with the Filipino community in Viet Nam, where he expressed his appreciation for their work.

“I had the pleasure of course to speak with the Filipinos living in Viet Nam and I expressed my appreciation for their continued good work in projecting a very positive image of the Philippines in Viet Nam,” he said.

“I acknowledge the sacrifice that they have made for their families and I lauded them for their contributions to the socio-economic development of the Philippines and of Viet Nam,” he stressed.

The President said his administration will continue to strive for the betterment of Filipinos here and abroad. Presidential News Desk