(Hanoi, Vietnam) Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang warmly welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte, together with his delegation, as he visited the Presidential Palace on the second-day of his official visit here Thursday.

Upon his arrival, President Duterte was received by President Quang and was accorded an official welcome ceremony.

The President and his official delegation were then escorted to the State Palace Yellow Room for a tête-a-tête with his Vietnamese counterpart.

Present were Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Noel Servigon.

On Vietnam side, President Quang was accompanied by Chairman of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Truong Trieu Duong.

After the tête-a-tête, President Duterte and President Quang proceeded to an adjacent room for a bilateral meeting.

Aside from the four officials, the following officials also joined the bilateral meeting: National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go, and Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Francis Escudero.

President Duterte is in Hanoi for a two-day official visit.

He is later scheduled to pay courtesy calls on key leaders of Vietnam before he returns to the Philippines on Thursdayevening.PND