Official welcoming ceremony for the Sultan of Brunei.

At the invitation of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, the Emir of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, arrived in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, to begin a state visit from November 30 to December 2, 2025.

President Luong Cuong welcomes the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA.

On the morning of December 1st, at the Presidential Palace, President Luong Cuong presided over the welcoming ceremony for King Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's state visit to Vietnam.

Attending the welcoming ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son; Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai; Head of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai; Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung; Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang; Deputy Minister of National Defence, Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang; Deputy Minister of Public Security , Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang; Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Tran Anh Vu; Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien; Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy; Deputy Minister of Construction Pham Minh Ha; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan; Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan; and Assistant to the President Duong Quoc Hung. Ambassadors and Chargé d'affaires from ASEAN countries also participated in the ceremony.

A large number of children from Hanoi gathered at the Presidential Palace, waving the flags of both countries to welcome King Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and the high-ranking Brunei delegation.

This is the sixth visit to Vietnam by the Sultan of Brunei, contributing to strengthening and deepening political trust, promoting multifaceted cooperation, and bringing bilateral relations in an increasingly substantive and effective direction.

The motorcade escorting King Haji Hassanal Bolkiah arrived at the Presidential Palace. President Luong Cuong was present on the red carpet to warmly welcome King Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, leading the high-level Brunei delegation on a state visit to Vietnam. Representatives of the children of Hanoi then presented King Haji Hassanal Bolkiah with a bouquet of fresh flowers.

To the sound of welcoming music, President Luong Cuong and the Sultan of Brunei walked along the red carpet to the honorary platform. After listening to the national anthems of both countries, President Luong Cuong and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah left the platform, bowed to the military flag, and reviewed the Honor Guard of the Vietnam People's Army. Following this, the two leaders introduced the members of the high-level delegations from both countries attending the welcoming ceremony.

Vietnam and Brunei officially established diplomatic relations on February 29, 1992. Over the past three decades, the friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries have developed strongly and substantively. On this journey, 2019 marked a significant milestone in Vietnam-Brunei relations when the leaders of both countries agreed to upgrade the relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership during the State visit of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah to Vietnam in March 2019.

Children in Hanoi present flowers to welcome the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA.

The upgrading of Vietnam-Brunei relations to a Comprehensive Partnership is a crucial step, marking a qualitative and quantitative transformation in bilateral relations. It reflects the shared determination of the high-level leaders of both countries to deepen and strengthen cooperation, aligning it with the new context and the general trends in the region and internationally. Since then, the Vietnam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership has seen significant development across key pillars: political-security, trade-investment, and people-to-people diplomacy. The two countries also cooperate closely and effectively in regional and international forums and organizations, especially within ASEAN and the United Nations; and support each other on regional and international issues of common concern.

Furthermore, economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Brunei continues to develop, becoming the foundation for a long-term relationship between the two countries. Defense and security cooperation between the two countries has also yielded many positive results through the implementation of Memorandums of Understanding on defense cooperation and cooperation in specific areas.

President Luong Cuong welcomes the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA.

On the other hand, the Vietnamese community in Brunei currently plays an important bridging role, promoting socio-economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Vietnamese is currently the only language in Southeast Asia taught at the National University of Brunei (UBD), attracting increasing interest from Brunei students.

Both sides have significant potential, opportunities, and room to strengthen and deepen bilateral cooperation in the future, especially in areas such as renewable energy transition, green economy, and circular economy, in line with commitments to emission reduction and sustainable development. The digital economy, science and technology, and innovation are also promising areas for cooperation.

Following the welcoming ceremony, President Luong Cuong and King Haji Hassanal Bolkiah led the high-level delegations of the two countries in talks, assessing the results of cooperation between the two countries in the past and proposing directions for future cooperation.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/le-don-chinh-thuc-quoc-vuong-brunei-20251201102945243.htm