Ambassador Dinh Ngoc Linh: Further promote Vietnam - Malaysia relations commensurate with new stature

Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh

Ambassador, please tell us about the importance and significance of the visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife to Malaysia this time?

Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Malaysia is of special significance, both promoting solidarity among ASEAN countries and demonstrating Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of valuing the friendly neighborly relationship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Malaysia.

The visit takes place in the context of the Vietnam - Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership being strongly, comprehensively and firmly developed in all areas, from politics , diplomacy, national defense and security to economy, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchange. In recent times, senior leaders of the two countries have regularly held phone calls, maintained contact, paid bilateral visits, as well as met and interacted on the sidelines of regional and international multilateral conferences.

The visit is also a milestone contributing to consolidating the political foundation and adding more momentum to further promote the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries in all fields to develop increasingly strongly and effectively.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the occasion of attending the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related summits in Vientiane (Laos) (October 2024) - Photo: VGP

Ambassador, could you share the highlights of the Prime Minister's visit this time? How has the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia prepared for this important event, Ambassador?

Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh: During this official visit to Malaysia, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will have important talks and meetings with the Malaysian Prime Minister and other senior leaders of Malaysia.

The two sides will inform each other about the situation in each country, discuss in depth the strategic vision for developing bilateral relations, measures to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations, especially the direction and plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including further strengthening political trust, enhancing cooperation in national defense and security, economy, trade, investment, labor, tourism, people-to-people exchange, etc.; at the same time, seek measures to expand cooperation to other potential areas such as green economy, digital economy, artificial intelligence, innovation, science and technology, etc.

In addition, the leaders of the two sides will also share and discuss frankly and confidently on regional and international issues of mutual concern, and agree on major directions to enhance coordination between the two countries at regional and international forums, especially within the framework of ASEAN and in the context of Malaysia holding the role of ASEAN Chair in 2025, contributing to strengthening intra-bloc solidarity and promoting ASEAN's central role.

Given the significance and importance of the visit, the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia determined that participating in the preparation for the official visit to Malaysia and attending the 46th ASEAN Summit and related summits of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife is both an honor and a top political task in 2025. The Embassy is currently maintaining close and intimate contact with the authorities of both sides to discuss and coordinate in carefully developing the program and content of the visit, and making efforts to contribute to the overall success of the visit.

November 2024 is considered a memorable milestone in the relationship between Vietnam and Malaysia when the two countries agreed to upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. How does the Ambassador assess the relationship between the two countries after this historic event and what are your expectations for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh?

Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh: The establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework between the two countries helps create an important foundation and direction for bilateral cooperation in the new period, with the main pillars being promoting political, defense and security cooperation; enhancing economic connectivity towards sustainable development; opening up cooperation in new areas such as digital transformation, clean energy, new technology; and helping to enhance coordination of views on international and multilateral issues.

I hope that during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Malaysia, the two sides can adopt an action plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; promote necessary cooperation agreements to create effective cooperation mechanisms; effectively utilize existing cooperation mechanisms such as the Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Committee and the Joint Trade Committee to further promote the relationship commensurate with the new stature; agree on the direction to promote cooperation potential, take advantage of each other's strengths, contributing to consolidating a peaceful and favorable environment for the new development stage of the country, the era of national development.

In addition, economic, trade and investment cooperation is also one of the important pillars in the Vietnam - Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In ASEAN, Malaysia is currently Vietnam's second largest trading partner and the third largest investor in Vietnam. Bilateral trade turnover in 2024 will reach 14.2 billion USD, up 20% compared to 2023, increasingly close to the bilateral turnover target of 18 billion USD.

It can be said that the two countries possess strategic and complementary strengths that need to be grasped for cooperation, from which businesses of the two countries will have more favorable conditions to best access each other's markets, especially in new areas of cooperation with much room for growth such as Halal industry, green economy, innovation, science and technology, digital transformation, and green energy.

According to VNA

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/dai-su-dinh-ngoc-linh-day-manh-hon-nua-quan-he-viet-nam-malaysia-tuong-xung-voi-tam-voc-moi-102250523231254224.htm