At the invitation of President Luong Cuong, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah will pay a State visit to Vietnam from November 30 to December 2, 2025. On this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Tran Anh Vu shared with Nhan Dan Newspaper reporters about the significance of this visit.
Strengthening cooperation in important and priority areas
Assessing the significance of the State visit to Vietnam by Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Ambassador Tran Anh Vu said that the visit affirmed the determination of the two countries to continuously consolidate and deepen the friendship and cooperation in all fields after upgrading bilateral relations to Comprehensive Partnership in 2019.
Ambassador Tran Anh Vu said that within the framework of the visit, the two sides will discuss and evaluate the implementation of cooperation areas within the framework of the Action Program to implement the Comprehensive Partnership for the 2023-2027 period, approved during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh 's official visit to Brunei (February 2023).
In particular, the visit is an opportunity for the two sides to discuss measures to strengthen and deepen cooperation in important and priority areas such as politics - diplomacy, defense - security, energy, Halal industry, tourism and people-to-people exchange, as well as in areas of interest and need to promote cooperation.
For Brunei, the visit demonstrates Brunei's respect and strong friendship for Vietnam, as a trusted partner in ASEAN. For Vietnam, welcoming the Sultan of Brunei to Vietnam contributes to implementing the foreign policy of our Party and State that values relations with ASEAN countries, consolidates and enhances multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Brunei, and contributes to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.
Regarding the Vietnam-Brunei bilateral relationship, Ambassador Tran Anh Vu said that since the two countries upgraded their relationship to Comprehensive Partnership in 2019, the two sides have made efforts to promote and deepen cooperation in all fields.
Political-diplomatic cooperation has been consolidated and enhanced through delegation exchanges and high-level and all-level foreign contacts. Within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Brunei, the two sides approved the Action Program to implement the Vietnam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership for the 2023-2027 period, which clearly identifies priority areas of cooperation and key solutions and tasks. The Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) mechanism co-chaired by the two Foreign Ministers plays an important role in reviewing and urging the implementation of cooperation areas in an increasingly practical and effective manner.
Economic cooperation has made many strides. Two-way trade turnover in the 2023-2025 period has exceeded the target of 500 million USD in 2025, of which bilateral trade reached more than 670 million USD in 2024, creating a basis for the two sides to identify higher trade targets in the coming period. Vietnam's exports to Brunei have grown positively in recent years, specifically increasing by more than 30% in the first 10 months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2025. Cooperation in priority areas such as energy, Halal industry, tourism, etc. has been promoted. A number of Vietnamese enterprises in Brunei are expanding their business activities, especially in the fields of cuisine and handicrafts. The two sides are actively exchanging and establishing cooperation frameworks in areas of mutual interest, especially the Halal and seafood industries.
The two countries' defense and security cooperation has achieved many positive results through the implementation of Memoranda of Understanding on Defense Cooperation and cooperation in specific fields. In 2025, the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces visited Vietnam, while the two sides continued to actively exchange, increase delegation exchanges and establish cooperation frameworks and dialogues on defense and security.
Educational cooperation and people-to-people exchange have contributed significantly to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Brunei. The Vietnamese community in Brunei plays an important role in promoting economic, social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Vietnamese is currently the only language in Southeast Asia taught at the University of Brunei (UBD), attracting increasing interest from Bruneian students.
Vietnam and Brunei have much potential and room for cooperation.
According to Ambassador Tran Anh Vu, Vietnam and Brunei have potential, opportunities and room for cooperation, especially in the economic field. As complementary economies and members of ASEAN, Vietnam and Brunei both attach importance to cooperation with partner countries in ASEAN, as well as diversifying partners and markets and promoting the exploitation of new growth drivers.
Ambassador Tran Anh Vu said that Vietnam and Brunei have the potential to cooperate in renewable energy transition, green economy, circular economy, in line with the commitment to reduce emissions and sustainable development. Both countries are committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and have the potential to promote cooperation and share experiences on sustainable energy transition policies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology - an area in which Brunei has great potential.
Affirming that digital economy, science, technology and innovation are promising areas of cooperation, Ambassador Tran Anh Vu said that partners in Brunei are interested in and appreciate Vietnam's determination and strong steps to take advantage of new growth momentum from digital economy, science, technology and innovation in the new period. Brunei is promoting the "Brunei Vision 2035" to build a smart nation through digital applications. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese digital technology enterprises to participate in Brunei's digital transformation process, from building telecommunications infrastructure, e-Government to digital payments and potential technology fields.
In addition, the two sides have the potential to cooperate in many new industries and fields associated with innovation and technological innovation trends such as cooperation in connecting startup ecosystems, cooperation in high-tech agriculture, eco-tourism, and education and training of high-quality human resources.
In addition to promoting cooperation in areas of strength and priority based on established bilateral cooperation frameworks and needs, within the framework of ASEAN, the United Nations and multilateral forums, Vietnam and Brunei have been and are continuing to closely coordinate to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development at the regional and global levels.
“The two sides assuming important positions, including Vietnam hosting APEC 2027 and being elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 term, Brunei playing the role of coordinator of ASEAN-EU cooperation... are opportunities to enhance exchanges and increasingly substantive coordination at multilateral cooperation mechanisms and forums in the coming period,” Ambassador Tran Anh Vu emphasized.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/lam-sau-sac-hon-quan-he-doi-tac-toan-dien-viet-nam-brunei-post926497.html
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