Philippine President arrives in Hà Nội for state visit

HÀ NỘI — Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse arrived in Hà Nội on Monday afternoon, starting their two-day state visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of President Võ Văn Thưởng and his spouse. They were welcomed at the Nội Bài International Airport by Chairman of the President's Office Lê Khánh Hải, Chairman of the Hà Nội People's Committee Trần Sỹ Thanh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt, and Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Lại Thái Bình, among others. This is the first visit to Việt Nam by the Philippine leader since taking office in 2022. The visit is also important to strengthening ASEAN’s solidarity and centrality, especially in the context of political and security uncertainties in the region and the world, including the situation in Myanmar and the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea). Through the visit, the strategic cooperation between the two countries is expected to be comprehensively consolidated, for the sake of their peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and beyond, he said.