Study Room, Malacañan Palace
August 10, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. received His Excellency Hoang Huy Chung, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Philippines, in a farewell call at the Study Room in Malacañan Palace.

In his brief remarks, President Marcos Jr. expressed his profound gratitude to the Vietnamese envoy for bringing diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Vietnam closer, and for making progress in various diplomatic areas, particularly in trade. He also mentioned that both countries already initiated talks on an agreement regarding territorial claims in the South China Sea, expressing his optimism that such an agreement will bring an element of stability in the region.

Under the Marcos Administration, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been tasked to develop talks with Vietnam regarding the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. This follows the bilateral meeting between President Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

Ambassador Chung recently expressed his support for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) framework to settle maritime disputes in the South China Sea, where Vietnam also claims several disputed territories. He recognizes the need to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight in the contested sea lane, where over a trillion dollars worth of trade passes through annually.

In 2015, the Philippines and Vietnam formed a strategic partnership to enhance maritime cooperation, including joint activities in the South China Sea within the framework of domestic and international law.

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