Jakarta, Indonesia
September 7, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. held a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Among the topics discussed during the meeting included ways to strengthen the existing strategic partnership between the two countries and cooperation on rice and food security.

Last year, the Philippines imported 3.7 million tons of rice, with approximately 90% of the food staple were imported from Vietnam and the remaining from Thailand.

Both leaders also touched on the outcomes of the recently held maritime talks in Manila through the Philippines-Vietnam Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Ocean Concerns (JWG-MOC), which covered various initiatives for maritime security cooperation.

The Philippines and Vietnam are eager to strengthen collaboration in defense, trade and investment, maritime security, agriculture, education, tourism, environment, and information and communications technology.

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