Vietnamese and Malaysian Prime Ministers hold phone call, express concern over tensions between Thailand and Cambodia.

On December 12, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and the foreign ministers of the two countries also spoke.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a phone call with the Malaysian Prime Minister on December 12 - Photo: VGP

According to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , on the afternoon of December 12, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a telephone conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to discuss the state of bilateral relations between the two countries and a number of recent emerging regional and international issues.

During the phone call, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the frequent phone calls between the two Prime Ministers, which facilitate timely coordination and information sharing on issues of mutual interest. This demonstrates the growing political trust between the two countries in general, and between the high-level leaders of both sides in particular, in line with the spirit of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to officially adopt the action program for implementing the Vietnam-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period 2026-2030 as soon as possible. This will set specific directions for each key sector and strive to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of US$20 billion in a more balanced manner.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also suggested that the two sides continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of rice trade, and maritime and ocean affairs.

Priority will be given to cooperation in the oil and gas sector between Vietnam's National Energy Industry Corporation and Malaysia's Petronas Group, as well as cooperation in joint fishing and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and representatives of ministries and agencies at the telephone conversation with the Malaysian Prime Minister - Photo: VGP

Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two Prime Ministers expressed deep concern about the recent tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

The two leaders expressed their hope that both sides would exercise restraint, refrain from the use of force, engage in dialogue, and resolve the issue peacefully.

Both sides also agreed to closely coordinate with other ASEAN countries to strengthen solidarity, maintain ASEAN's central role, and promote ASEAN mechanisms to foster dialogue, contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, and cooperation in the region.

Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung held a phone call with the Malaysian Foreign Minister - Photo: VGP

Earlier on December 12, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung also held a telephone conversation with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan to discuss bilateral relations and a number of regional issues of mutual interest.

During the phone call, the two ministers agreed to hold the 8th Joint Committee meeting soon to officially adopt the action plan for implementing the Vietnam-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period 2026-2030.

Both sides emphasized economic cooperation, promoting cooperation in fisheries, and the early signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and food security. The Malaysian Foreign Minister affirmed that Malaysia will continue to support Vietnam in developing the Halal sector and combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing.

On this occasion, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung congratulated Malaysia on successfully fulfilling its role as ASEAN Chair in 2025, including the successful implementation of many new initiatives and the promotion of solutions to regional issues.

The two sides exchanged views on a number of recent regional and international developments, and particularly expressed deep concern about the escalating tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

The two ministers agreed to continue coordinating with ASEAN member states to maintain internal solidarity, promote ASEAN's central role and mechanisms to encourage both sides to exercise restraint, refrain from the use of force, conduct dialogue, and resolve issues peacefully.

DUY LINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thu-tuong-viet-nam-va-malaysia-dien-dam-quan-ngai-ve-cang-thang-thai-lan-campuchia-2025121219495807.htm