|
DEPARTMENT
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
|
REMARKS
OF
THE
HON. DR. ALBERTO G. ROMULO
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
On
the Occasion of
THE
30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN
THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
Hotel
Intercontinental, Makati City
12 July 2006
Your Excellency Vu Xuan
Truong, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Philippines;
Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban;
Excellencies of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, led by the Dean of the
Diplomatic Corps;
My colleagues in Government;
Distinguished guests;
Friends:
We are gathered today to celebrate an
enduring friendship between two peoples and two countries.
It
is a friendship firmly grounded on shared aspirations for peace and prosperity,
and borne out of respect, trust and confidence.
Tonight
we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam, and tonight, we also celebrate an ever-expanding friendship
that predates 30 years of formal interaction between sovereign states.
For
in truth, the Philippines and Vietnam’s friendship is forged out of
centuries-old interaction, shared experiences and a common regional history.
Even before the advent of western colonization in the region, our peoples
were in constant contact with each other and with our Southeast Asian neighbors.
Vibrant trade through searoutes was sustained even when the Philippines
was colonized by Spain. In fact,
Philippine ships docked in the old Vietnamese port town of Hoi An engaging in
the highly-profitable trade in high-grade silk, porcelain, mother of pearl and
other precious cargo.
And as both our countries’ gained independence and charted our own
destinies, we reaffirmed the indelible ties that bind us.
Vietnam’s reunification and sovereignty in 1975 was immediately
recognized by the Philippines.
Thirty years ago to the day, then Philippine Minister of Foreign Affairs
Carlos P. Romulo and Vietnamese Vice Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Phan
Hien signed the Joint Communiqué establishing formal diplomatic relations
between our countries.
Since then, we have seen our relationship broaden, strengthen and
flourish with the times to become the multifaceted partnership that it is today.
Indeed, the exchange of visits by our officials, the bilateral agreements
concluded by our countries in various areas of cooperation, the robust trade and
the development of joint consultative mechanisms attest to the dynamism of
Philippine-Vietnamese relations.
In fact, in my visit to Hanoi last year for the Philippines-Vietnam Joint
Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, our enthusiasm in our interlinked future
was evident. We even set an
ambitious trade target of US$2 billion for 2007.
Of course, beyond trade and bilateral relations, we likewise share the
commitment to secure peace, stability and development for our region and world
in our engagement in the ASEAN and in various multilateral fora.
We look forward to Vietnam’s hosting of the APEC Summit in November
this year and its active participation in the ASEAN Summit during the
Philippines’ Chairmanship in Cebu in December.
As we celebrate thirty years of cordial relations, we look forward to a
brighter future of cooperation with Vietnam, a union animated by age-old
friendship and committed to the pursuit of further peace, harmony and prosperity
for our countries and our region.
On this note, may I invite Your Excellencies, friends, ladies and
gentlemen, to join me in a toast to:
The good health and success of :
·
His
Excellency President Nguyen Minh Triet;
·
His Excellency Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung;
·
His Excellency Foreign
Minister Pham Gia Khiem; and
·
The vibrant friendship of
our peoples and the enduring peace, progress and prosperity of the Philippines
and Vietnam.
Mabuhay!
/epa
(Home)