MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Philippines Lai Thai Binh, as he hopes to explore various areas to strengthen bilateral relations.

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome you Manila, to the Philippines as the Ambassador of Vietnam to our country,” the President said in welcoming Ambassador Lai in Malacañang.

“It is just in time as we have many things planned between our two countries and I’m very happy to have received your letter of credence.”

And with Lai’s presence in Manila, the Philippines and Vietnam can explore many different areas, the President said, stressing many hours of meeting the Vietnamese Prime Minister in several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering.
“And I think that there are many, many more things that your PM and I have discussed for many hours during our ASEAN meetings. We have many areas that we can explore. For that, I look forward to doing that,” the President said.

In presenting his letter of credence, Lai expressed the warmest greetings and sincere regards of Vietnam’s leader to President Marcos.

“I look forward to the kind attention and guidance to our bilateral relations,” Lai told the President.

Vietnam’s relations with other countries are based on the principles of international law, respecting other countries’ independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality, and adheres to non-interference.

Vietnam and Philippines officially established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1976. (PND)