Senate President Expects Vietnam – Philippines Strategic Partnership Development

Filipino Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri (R) meets with Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in Manila on November 23.

Receiving the Vietnamese leader in Manila, Zubiri noted Vietnam is the Philippines’ only strategic partner in ASEAN. He congratulated Vietnam on important achievements it has recorded in COVID-19 control and socio-economic recovery, resulting in high growth rate and inflation under control.

Hue for his part highly appreciated both houses of the Congress of the Philippines approving a resolution to strengthen relation with Vietnam, saying this is a historic event in the relationship between the two countries and two legislatures.

Both host and guest said that trade cooperation is currently a bright spot in bilateral relations, and they agreed to further increase cooperation in the fields of defense-security, investment, rice trading, agriculture, and maritime security cooperation, according to the VOV.

Zubiri thanked Vietnam for supplying rice to the Philippines, helping it ensure food security, and hoped the Philippines would export more products to Vietnam to balance bilateral trade in the context that the former is slipping into a trade deficit with Vietnam.

Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri welcomes visiting Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in Manila on November 23.

The two leaders lauded cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries both bilaterally and multilaterally. They affirmed the central role of parliamentary cooperation in enhancing bilateral and multilateral relations between countries.

They therefore agreed to maintain the exchange of reciprocal visits and consultations between the two legislative bodies in order to share experience in legislation, supervision and decision making, while facilitating coordination and support in multilateral cooperation mechanisms.

The two sides emphasized the need to strengthen ASEAN’s solidarity, stance and central role in handling current traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including maritime security, defense – security, natural disasters prevention, and climate change response.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the Vietnamese National Assembly leader suggested that the two countries should uphold ASEAN’s stance, effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work towards completing the Code of Conduct (DOC) in the regional waters on the basis of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Philippine Senate passes resolution on strengthening parliamentary ties with Vietnam

President of the Philippine Senate Juan Miguel Zubiri hands over the resolution to NA Chairman Hue. (Photo: VNA)

The Senate of the Philippines on November 23 passed a resolution on further strengthening the Philippines-Vietnam parliamentary relations in the presence of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation.

Speaking at the session, Senator Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa, who sponsored Resolution 26, affirmed that the visit by the Vietnamese NA leader is an important milestone in the parliamentary ties between the two countries, reported the Nhandan.

It is the first made by a top Vietnamese legislator in 16 years, he noted, adding that it can be considered an event of significant meaning when the two countries are celebrating the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

President of the Philippine Senate Juan Miguel Zubiri handed over the resolution to NA Chairman Hue.

The resolution affirms that the Philippine Senate highly values the Vietnamese National Assembly's strengthening of relations between with its Philippine counterpart. It aims to establish closer parliamentary ties between the two nations, enhancing bilateral political, economic and cultural cooperation, developing and strengthening their participation and cooperation in key areas, promoting existing bilateral mechanisms, implementing signed agreements and finding new ways to deepen cooperation between the two governments.

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