The Philippines and Vietnam are currently in talks to elevate their existing strategic partnership into a comprehensive strategic partnership, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. confirmed during a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia on Monday.
“Our ministers are in discussion on the possibility of elevating the strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership. I believe there are already productive conversations between our two countries,” Marcos said, as quoted in a Malacañang news release.
Prime Minister Chinh welcomed the development and recognized the “remarkable progress” in bilateral ties since Marcos’ state visit to Hanoi in January 2024.
“I hope that it has come to the point where we can elevate the strategic partnership between our two countries,” the Vietnamese leader said.
President Marcos also extended his condolences on the recent passing of former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong on May 20, 2025.
During their dialogue, both leaders noted the growing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. They also reaffirmed commitments to strengthen collaboration in agriculture, food security, and people-to-people exchanges in areas such as education, tourism, and cultural engagements.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Philippines-Vietnam strategic partnership, highlighting a decade of deepening cooperation and enduring friendship between the two ASEAN neighbors.