This is the first visit to Vietnam and the fourth overseas trip by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte since he took office on June 30 this year. During the visit, the two countries' leaders will discuss measures to promote the strategic partnership in the time ahead, especially in politics, security, defence, economy and trade. They will also compare notes on regional and international issues of shared concerns.
Vietnam and the Philippines set up diplomatic ties in July 1976. The two countries signed a bilateral cooperation framework for the first 25 years of the 21st century and beyond in November 2002, an action programme for 2011-2016 to implement the bilateral cooperative relations in various fields in October 2011.