President Rodrigo Duterte said he will discuss drug problem with Vietnamese leaders during his official visit.
Together with his delegation, President Rodrigo Duterte landed at Hanoi, Vietnam for his two-day official visit in the said country, late Wednesday afternoon.
The President landed at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam before 5 p.m. on Wednesday. His delegation includes Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Francis Escudero, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, and Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Noel Servigon.
Few minutes before 2 P.M. when Duterte left for Vietnam via Philippine Airlines chartered flight PR 001.
Before he flew to Vietnam on Wednesday, Duterte said he will discuss the illegal drugs problem with the leaders of Vietnam during his official visit and this is a part of an attempt to make the ASEAN community free from illegal drugs.
In his departure statement at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, Duterte revealed the illegal drug trade would be one of his talking points during the visit where he will meet with the high officials of the said country.
“We shall also seek the ways to advance collaboration in the campaign against illegal drugs trade, consistent with the goal of realizing an ASEAN Drug-Free Community,” the President said.
He also said that he will exchange views and explore opportunities with Hanoi leaders aiming to boost partnership in economic, agriculture, defense, and maritime cooperation between the two countries.
“I look forward to exchange views and explore opportunities further significantly improving our economic bilateral cooperation, including stronger partnership in economic, agriculture, defense and maritime cooperation,” the president said.
“We will seek to identify emerging areas of partnership particularly in the fields of maritime security and law enforcement,” he added.
Duterte did not mention about the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China but Malacañang previously said the dispute would be discussed during the visit.
The two-day visit to the said country is the third foreign trip of Duterte since he assumed office as the president. His first foreign trip was the ASEAN summit in Laos while his second out-of-the-country engagement was his working visit to Indonesia.
The two-day visit of Duterte to Vietnam coincides with the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two Southeast Asian countries. It also came as the Philippines and Vietnam prepare for respective leadership roles in international events.