Prime Minister visits Malaysia and attends ASEAN Summit: Firm position, ready to contribute

Within the framework of the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, along with many ASEAN leaders, had a lively discussion about the “ASEAN beacon of hope” in the new context. The two Prime Ministers discussed the “hot” Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework between the two countries. That atmosphere was “fueled” from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur, during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Malaysia, attending the 46th ASEAN Summit and related Summits from May 24-28.

Vietnam is determined to join Malaysia and other ASEAN countries in building a united and strong ASEAN Community. (Photo: Anh Tuan)

Speaking to the press ahead of the working trip, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet emphasized that this is the first official visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Malaysia in 10 years, and also the first visit by a key Vietnamese leader to Malaysia since the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership in November 2024.

With the "announced festival", the high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the 46th ASEAN Summit with the consistent message that Vietnam is proactive, responsible and contributes more to the common work of ASEAN with new potential and position after 30 years of Vietnam joining the Association.

Shared philosophy, vision and aspirations

Speaking at AFF 2025, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spent a considerable amount of time talking about his personal feelings for Vietnam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh - "I learned a lot from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh". During their meetings, the two leaders always expressed their closeness and friendship as if they had known each other for a long time.

Sharing this thought with Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato' Tan Yang Thai, TG&VN reporter immediately received a response: “Yes, I have the same feeling. Accompanying Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in meetings with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, I always noticed the happy atmosphere between the two close friends. The two Prime Ministers share the same vision and aspiration to develop their countries, especially always concerned about the common development of ASEAN and cooperation between the two countries. When they meet, they can exchange endlessly…”.

Since the beginning of the year, the two leaders have spoken to each other four times, at the AFF 2025, two high-level phone calls and the upcoming talks in Kuala Lumpur. Therefore, Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai hopes that the two Prime Ministers will take more substantive steps to realize the vision of the new framework - Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Along with that, many ideas will arise for ASEAN's future journey before the new threshold - the development roadmap after 2025.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and delegates attend the opening session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 on February 25. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The aspirations of Vietnam and Malaysia are very similar, with overlap in the philosophy of taking people as the center for development. While Vietnam is persistent in taking people as the center, subject, goal, driving force and resource for sustainable development, Malaysia also aims to become one of the 25 countries with the highest human development index in the world in the next 10 years. This is a concrete demonstration of the deep closeness between the two countries, not only geographically but also in philosophy and long-term development priorities.

As an area expected to help the two countries “take off”, economic cooperation has become an important pillar within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Malaysia is currently Vietnam’s third largest trading partner in ASEAN and ninth largest in the world. The potential for bilateral economic cooperation is still huge as they possess strategic and complementary strengths, especially in new areas with much room for growth such as Halal industry, green economy, renewable energy, innovation, artificial intelligence, etc.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh said that during the visit of the head of the Vietnamese Government, the two sides will agree on an action plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; promote necessary cooperation agreements to create an effective cooperation mechanism; agree on the direction to promote cooperation potential, take advantage of each other's strengths so that the new cooperation framework will soon have a "bumper harvest".

In particular, in recent times, every time he met his Malaysian counterpart, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed his support for Malaysia to successfully assume the role of ASEAN Chair 2025, towards a “Sustainable and Inclusive” ASEAN, believing that Malaysia will lead ASEAN to achieve great results. That stance will also be emphasized once again within the framework of this important summit.

Turning point, bright future

The ASEAN Summit is a "scheduled" event but each has its own mission with each step on the Association's development journey.

Speaking with TG&VN before the Summit, Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato' Tan Yang Thai assessed that the 46th ASEAN Summit took place at an important turning point for the region in the context of increasing strategic competition, supply chain restructuring, climate change... In that context, the ASEAN Chair 2025 aims to reaffirm the Association's "position" through three focuses: Solidarity, adaptation and leadership role.

This conference will adopt a new cooperation framework for the next 20 years of the Community - the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 along with four strategies on politics - security, economics, culture - society and connectivity, thereby helping ASEAN countries enhance their capacity and initiative in the face of all fluctuations. The new vision is also a new "version" towards building a more cohesive, flexible and proactive ASEAN in the international arena. The main spirit is how ASEAN must not only adapt but also lead; not only act but also create the future. These are the directions that ASEAN documents have set out for the future of the Association from now until 2045.

In addition, 2025 is also the year to celebrate a decade of the formation of the ASEAN Community. The conference is therefore a "meeting place" for countries to look back, reflect and contemplate ASEAN's journey over the past 10 years as well as efforts to contribute to peace, security, prosperity and development of the region, to become a more cohesive, dynamic and aspirational community. At AFF 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commented: "ASEAN has never been in such a good position as it is today and has never faced so many challenges as it does today". Therefore, resonating, continuing the success story and joining hands to resolve challenges with ASEAN is Vietnam's constant mindset. With its new potential and position after three decades of joining the "common home", the S-shaped country is always eager to contribute more to the common mission.

At this conference, according to Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet, Vietnam and member countries will discuss and agree on cooperation priorities in three major groups of contents: Reaffirming the vitality of multilateralism, promoting dialogue, building trust, and the central role of ASEAN in the region; launching a new roadmap to build the ASEAN Community, aiming to realize the aspiration of a self-reliant, creative, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN; promoting intra-bloc connectivity as well as connectivity between ASEAN and partners, and expanding the space for cooperation.

“Vietnam becomes an indispensable partner in ensuring the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 and maintaining the Association's role in the region as well as globally,” Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai emphasized.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the occasion of his visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum in Hanoi, February 26. (Source: VGP)

Continuing the mission together

Over the past three decades, Vietnam has always considered ASEAN as a common home, given high priority to relations with member countries, and harmoniously linked Vietnam's national interests with the interests of the entire region. A strong ASEAN is closely linked to Vietnam and a developing Vietnam has the image of ASEAN. It is even more meaningful now that ASEAN has always accompanied Vietnam as it enters a new stage of development, a new era, an era of national growth.

General Secretary To Lam once pointed out in his speech at the 30th Anniversary of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN (March 2025): “ASEAN is a multilateral cooperation mechanism directly linked and of primary importance to Vietnam. Standing at a new historical starting point, Vietnam and ASEAN are moving towards ambitious goals. In the next development journey with new expectations for ASEAN, Vietnam is more aware of its responsibility to proactively participate and contribute more to ASEAN's common work; contributing to realizing potentials and resolving challenges, continuing to join hands with ASEAN countries to realize ASEAN's historic mission”.

Clearly, a strong ASEAN will be the “fulcrum” of its member countries and each member has responsibilities, interests, and contributions to the development of the common home. Over the past 30 years, Vietnam has been in ASEAN with full faith and full attachment.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's working trip is expected to continue to strongly spread the message: On the way forward, with a new position and mindset entering a new era, Vietnam is ready to contribute more, together with its "brothers" to continue writing the story of peace and success that ASEAN is shining on.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-tham-malaysia-va-du-hoi-nghi-cap-cao-asean-vi-the-vung-vang-cong-hien-san-sang-315306.html