Malaysian Prime Minister affirmed that he highly values ​​bilateral and intra-ASEAN cooperation with Vietnam.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he always maintains contact with Vietnamese leaders to discuss ASEAN issues.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim gives an interview to Vietnamese press about Vietnam's role in ASEAN. (Source: VNA)

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim assessed Vietnam as an important member of ASEAN. Malaysia and Prime Minister Anwar personally highly appreciate the cooperation results achieved between the two countries.

In an interview with Vietnamese press in Kuala Lumpur, assessing Vietnam's role in ASEAN, Prime Minister Anwar said he always maintains contact with Vietnamese leaders to discuss ASEAN issues. The issues the two countries' leaders regularly discuss and hold phone calls on are the new US tariff policy and the Myanmar issue.

He affirmed that Malaysia and Vietnam cooperate very closely on these issues. Vietnam supports Malaysia's stance on promoting the ASEAN Power Grid initiative.

Assessing the relationship between the two countries in recent times, especially after upgrading to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024, Prime Minister Anwar emphasized that clear results can be seen in a number of areas immediately after the two countries upgraded their relationship, such as promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation, including cooperation between the two countries' oil and gas corporations.

Referring to the remaining challenges, the Malaysian leader said that the two countries are always ready to find many solutions to solve them.

Prime Minister Anwar shared that since his time as a student and leading the student movement, he had read many books about President Ho Chi Minh and respected him very much. Therefore, he had an understanding of Vietnam's struggle for national independence.

Malaysian experts also shared their views on Vietnam’s role in ASEAN. Speaking to the Vietnamese press, Senior Advisor of the Malaysian Pacific Research Center, Dr. Oh Ei Sun, said that Vietnam was a very active and effective member at the recent ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Dr. Oh Ei Sun stated that in his speech at the Conference, the Vietnamese Prime Minister proposed three key points, affirming that ASEAN needs to reshape its development thinking towards inclusiveness as the foundation. Dr. Oh Ei Sun said that this point is very important and Vietnam itself is a specific example of this initiative.

Within 20-30 years, Vietnam has transformed strongly, becoming a central member, playing an increasingly important role in the region.

Expert Oh Ei Sun said that in addition to the issue of “Inclusion”, the Vietnamese Prime Minister also mentioned the issue of “Connectivity”. In fact, Vietnam has an important position, connecting the maritime routes of Southeast Asia and will play a significant role in the railway network in ASEAN.

Regarding the issue of “Self-reliance”, expert Oh Ei Sun said that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh brought it up at the right time. Vietnam is a country with the advantage of a large and young population, has the potential to produce rice, and Vietnam can export to other ASEAN countries such as Malaysia. ASEAN member countries can learn from Vietnam about food security and energy security.

Dr. Oh Ei Sun emphasized that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's speech on Inclusion, Connectivity and Resilience was very effective and useful for ASEAN members at this Summit.

Regarding Malaysia-Vietnam relations, Dr. Oh Ei Sun said that the two countries' upgrading to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024 was a timely decision and that the bilateral relationship has seen many positive changes. More importantly, the two countries jointly supported the admission of Timor Leste as a new member of ASEAN, and are currently supporting Timor Leste through projects to help this economy develop.

Sharing the same view with Dr. Oh on Vietnam's role in ASEAN, Collins Chong Yew Keat, an expert on foreign affairs and security at the University of Malaysia, affirmed that Vietnam has a very positive influence on ASEAN's development by making great contributions in many fields.

Currently, Vietnam is showing a very active role in promoting energy transition, digital transformation and ensuring food security. This is a great support for all other members as well as the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Malaysia.

Expert Collins Chong emphasized that Vietnam's role in helping ASEAN develop and create a stronger, more resilient, more inclusive and sustainable ASEAN in all areas is clear. The expert expressed his belief that Vietnam will be one of the leading countries in ASEAN and together with other members, including Malaysia, in supporting the common agenda of a more prosperous, more inclusive, more united ASEAN - an ASEAN that is peaceful, stable and moving forward.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-malaysia-khang-dinh-rat-tran-trong-hop-tac-voi-viet-nam-song-phuong-va-trong-asean-316075.html