Reflections on the Philippines-Viet Nam relations

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on July 12, 1976, the bilateral ties between the Philippines and Viet Nam for the past 49 years have been nurtured through mutual respect and meaningful cooperation across all levels and through various fields, including defense and security, trade and investment, agriculture, tourism, education, cultural cooperation, and people-to-people relations.

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Our diplomatic relation with Viet Nam was elevated to that of a Strategic Partnership in November 2015, paving the way for Viet Nam to become the Philippines’ only strategic partner in ASEAN. Such a partnership has been deeply treasured and has grown from strength to strength through the years, especially following the state visit to Viet Nam of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in January last year.

Ambassador Meynardo LB. Montealegre at a meeting with General Secretary Tô Lâm on April 24, 2025, at the Headquarters of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. Photos courtesy of the embassy

From a bilateral trade of just US$5.87 million in 1980, two-way trade between the Philippines and Viet Nam as of 2024 stood between $7.0 billion and $8.0 billion.