Marcos welcomes new envoys from Vietnam, Timor-Leste

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed the new ambassadors to Manila of Vietnam and Timor-Leste and reaffirmed the Philippines' bilateral relations and continued cooperation with the two Southeast Asian nations.

In welcoming the new Vietnam Ambassador to the Philippines Lai Thai Binh, Marcos expressed hope to strengthen bilateral relations between the Philippines and Vietnam and push through with the "many things planned" by the two nations.

The president said he has met with Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in several gatherings among Southeast Asian leaders and added that he is “looking forward” to the “many areas that we can explore.” 

Both the Philippines and Vietnam have become "front-line states" in their efforts to safeguard their maritime interests and assert territorial sovereignty in the tense waterways of the South China Sea — parts of which overlap with the West Philippine Sea. 

Marcos said in 2023 that striking a deal on maritime cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam could bring an "element of stability" to issues in the South China Sea, which have often been attributed to Beijing's expansive claims in the sea that an international court rejected more than seven years ago.

RELATED: Potential Philippines-Vietnam maritime deal to stabilize South China Sea concerns — Marcos  

The Philippine government has since initiated discussions with Vietnam and Malaysia — another Southeast Asian country with maritime claims in the South China Sea — on developing a separate code of conduct.  

Timor-Leste 

Marcos also welcomed Timor-Leste’s new ambassador to Manila, Marciano Octavio Garcia Da Silva, and expressed optimism about the relations between the two countries.

“This is indicative of the growing partnership that your country and mine through our bilateral relationships, together with the multi-lateral relationships, have progressed in the last few years,” Marcos said.

Marcos met with Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta in November 2023 where they discussed the continued deepening of the relations between the two nations. 

The Philippines is the most vocal ally of Timor-Leste when it comes to its application to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, being both predominantly Catholic countries.

While Timor-Leste is part of the regional geography of ASEAN, it has yet to be a full-fledged member of the bloc after it filed its application in 2011. ASEAN has, however, granted Timor-Leste an “observer status” and accepted its membership in principle, allowing the country to join regional meetings and plenaries.