General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly will pay a state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos.

The trip marks To Lam’s first official visit to the Philippines as Vietnam’s top leader and comes as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Vietnam and the Philippines share many similarities in geography, population size, development orientation, as well as historical and cultural values. Over recent years, bilateral ties have continued to expand across multiple sectors, particularly in trade and regional cooperation.

The Philippines remains one of Vietnam’s largest trading partners within ASEAN and globally, while continuing to be the biggest importer of Vietnamese rice.

Beyond traditional export products such as rice, coffee and cashew nuts, the two countries are also exploring opportunities to expand market access for additional Vietnamese goods, including fresh fruits and vegetables.

Vietnam and the Philippines are working toward raising two-way trade turnover to USD10 billion in the near future. The two sides are also strengthening cooperation in food security, energy security and marine scientific research.

The upcoming visit is expected to further deepen political trust and reinforce the strategic partnership between the two Southeast Asian nations at a time when regional cooperation is becoming increasingly important.

The Philippines visit follows a series of major diplomatic engagements by To Lam and senior Vietnamese leaders in Southeast Asia, reflecting Vietnam’s broader efforts to strengthen ties within ASEAN and expand regional connectivity.

Strengthening ASEAN connectivity

Vietnamese and Philippine leaders have repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining ASEAN unity and promoting regional resilience amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.

Recent high-level exchanges between the two countries have focused on enhancing economic cooperation, maritime coordination and supply chain resilience, particularly in areas linked to food and energy security.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung previously stated that there are “no barriers” preventing businesses from Vietnam and the Philippines from expanding cooperation and connectivity between the two economies.

The Philippines has also emerged as a key market for Vietnamese agricultural exports, particularly rice, helping reinforce bilateral economic ties during periods of global supply chain disruption.

Analysts expect To Lam’s visit to Manila to create new momentum for cooperation in trade, investment, security and people-to-people exchanges as both countries seek to elevate their partnership during the next phase of ASEAN development.

Tran Thuong