Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim to pay Vietnam visit this week
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his spouse will pay an official visit to Vietnam on July 20-21 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its press communique.
This is Anwar’s first visit to Vietnam after he took office in December 2022.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Malaysia has developed positively over the years. The two countries are celebrating their 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. They are also actively implementing a plan of action to realise their strategic partnership for 2021-2025.
Cooperation in politics, national defense and security has been enhanced through high-level visit exchanges, while bilateral cooperation mechanisms have effectively been maintained.
At present, Malaysia is Vietnam’s second largest trading partner in Southeast Asia (after Thailand), and the ninth largest in the world, with two-way trade turnover last year rising 17.9% to US$14.8 billion.
Malaysia is also among the top 10 foreign investors in Vietnam, with 718 valid projects valued at US$13 billion.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has so far poured nearly US$860 million into 24 projects in Malaysia, making Malaysia the ninth biggest recipient of Vietnamese investment worldwide.
Bilateral cooperation in other key areas such as education-training, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges has also yielded positive results. The two countries are actively implementing the March 2022 memorandum of understanding on recruitment, employment and repatriation of workers.
Both countries are important members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). They have coordinated closely at regional and international forums, especially at the United Nations, ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Meeting (APEC).
During his stay, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will hold talks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and meet with other senior Vietnamese leaders, including Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Vo Van Thuong, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
