Thank you, Chief Luke. [Please take your seats]

Members of the Cabinet here with us, those who are staying and those who are accompanying us to Vietnam; the service commanders of the AFP; also the Chief PNP Benjie Acorda; Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Gavan; and again, we must complete this by greeting our First Lady, First Lady Louise Marcos; and our Vice President Sara; fellow workers in government, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

I will be embarking on a State Visit to VietNam upon the gracious invitation of His Excellency VÕ VĂN THƯỞNG, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

It is important to undertake my first State Visit of the year to Vietnam, a fellow ASEAN member and our only strategic partner in the ASEAN region, to reaffirm our commitment in further strengthening bilateral relations.

During my visit, I shall meet with the President of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, and the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hue.

And maritime cooperation will be one of the cornerstones of the strategic partnership which we are going to forge, and we hope to strengthen this aspect during my visit to promote peace and stability in our region. I will also discuss cooperation in defense and security, trade and investments, education, tourism, as well as regional and multilateral issues of concern.

I will also meet with the business sector to explore how we can further strengthen trade and investment between the Philippines and Vietnam. I strongly believe that we have a vast array of opportunities, especially in a post-pandemic world.

I am looking forward to meeting with also our kababayans in Vietnam, as it’s our custom, most of whom have significantly contributed to the social tapestry of Vietnam. In the same fashion as the Vietnam community— Vietnamese community here in the Philippines has contributed to the tapestry of our society.

Approximately 7,000 Filipinos are working and residing all over Vietnam and have had a hand in improving our image abroad. Most of them are professionals, including teachers who have been shaping the minds of future generations.

I hope that they will be able to continue to exhibit the best of Filipino values and that the State Visit will result in lasting opportunities for them and for our country.

I’m confident that this State Visit will bring our relations with Vietnam to greater heights.

Nearly 50 years have passed since we established relations with Vietnam, and I believe that we will usher in a new era of friendship and cooperation between our two countries.

Maraming salamat po. Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat. [Applause]

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