Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Vietnam Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Vietnam PM Pham Minh Chinh at the exchange of Agreed Minutes of the seventh Joint Commission Meeting on Economic, Scientific and Technology Cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam on Thursday (July 20)

HANOI (July 20): Malaysia attaches importance to and desires to develop a strategic partnership with Vietnam, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir stated.

Zambry and his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son co-chaired the seventh meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation between the two countries as part of his official visit to Vietnam on July 19 to 20.

Son said the visit is an important event, held on the sideline of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Vietnam, and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic ties this year, according to Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

During the seventh meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, the two sides focused on reviewing and evaluating the implementation of agreements signed by senior leaders of the two countries, including the Action Programme on carrying out the Vietnam-Malaysia strategic partnership for the 2021-2025 period.

They agreed to propose some major orientations to the two nations’ PMs in a bid to promote the strategic partnership in the coming time, VNA added.

Accordingly, the two sides will boost coordination to intensify exchange of visits and meetings at all levels and across all channels, as well as people-to-people exchanges, and expand defence and security cooperation.

The two countries will strive to lift two-way trade to US$18 billion (RM81.8 billion) soon in a more balanced direction, limiting the application of trade barriers, and capitalising on opportunities from regional trade agreements that both sides participate in, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

They agreed to step up cooperation in other important fields such as marine technology, oil and gas, education and training, labour, transportation, culture, sports, tourism and cooperation among localities; and in new areas such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.

They will work together to accelerate the signing of cooperation documents, including a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in training diplomatic staff.

The top diplomats also exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern, and agreed to continue to closely coordinate and actively support each other at multilateral forums.

They affirmed the two countries’ readiness to join other Asean member states in maintaining solidarity and Asean's central role in dealing with strategic issues in the region.