By Brian Jules Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. returned to the Philippines on Wednesday from his two-day state visit to Vietnam, bringing the good news that the Vietnamese government as well as private firms have expressed interest in exploring economic opportunities and further strengthening relations through signing agreements on various sectors.
President Marcos arrived at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 3:30 a.m., the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.
“I am pleased to inform you and the Filipino people of the outcomes of the state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The state visit aims to further strengthen our strategic partnership with Vietnam,” Marcos said in a video message.
In separate meetings with Vietnam President Vo Van Thoung, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chair Vuong Dinh Hue, Marcos affirmed both countries’ commitment to bolster bilateral ties and witnessed the exchange of agreements in several areas of cooperation.
“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,” the President stated.
Rice Trade and Agriculture
The Philippines and Vietnam inked an agreement on rice cooperation to ensure sustainable food supply amid the impacts of climate change.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two countries, Vietnam committed to a five-year trade agreement to supply white rice to the Philippine private sector, amounting to 1.5 to 2 million metric tons (MT) per year.
The two countries are also expected to exchange information on policies, plans and regulations, and other rice-trade related activities.
The Philippines and Vietnam will also boost agriculture cooperation in the areas of high value crops, livestock, and aquaculture; farm management and sustainability; smart agriculture and aquaculture technology; research training and exchanging of experts in said fields.
Maritime Cooperation
The two nations also signed an MOU on Incident Prevention and Management in the South China Sea “to enhance coordination regarding maritime issues bilaterally, within the ASEAN, and with other dialogue partners.”
During a meeting with the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Marcos reiterated the country’s position in the West Philippine Sea and said the government will continue to defend WPS through peaceful dialogues with other claimants.
“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,” said Marcos.
The chief executive likewise assured that the Philippines is willing to pursue a Joint Submission on the Extended Continental Shelf to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) with Vietnam.
“As maritime nations, we share a similar assessment of the current state of our regional environment with other maritime nations of the Asia-Pacific. Our countries have crucial roles to play in shaping the regional security discourse and in upholding the rules-based international order,” he continued.
For his part, the Prime Minister hoped that claimants in the South China Sea could work on an “effective and substantive” Code of Conduct in operating within the contested waters and comply with international laws, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On the other hand, the MOU on maritime cooperation is expected to promote understanding and mutual trust through establishing a Joint Coast Guard Committee and a hotline communication mechanism to tackle common issues and interests.
“This Memorandum aims to establish a comprehensive partnership between our Coast Guards on capacity building, training, and personnel and ship exchanges to enhance interoperability operations between our two countries,” Marcos added. – avds