Perfect time to foster greater co-operation with Malaysia
VOV.VN - The March 20-21 visit to Vietnam by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob presents the perfect opportunity for the two countries to deepen bilateral relations and make their joint ties more substantive and effective, says Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Tran Viet Thai
In an interview recently granted to baoquocte.vn, Ambassador Thai stated that the visit will contribute to building up trust between the leaderships of both sides at bilateral and multilateral forums.
During the visit, both sides are set to sign a number of co-operation documents aimed at developing the strategic partnership in a deeper and more substantive manner.
They will also discuss events to be held next year aimed at marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
In the view of the local diplomat, the mutual strategic partnership has developed strongly in recent times, despite the negative impact caused by the complicated nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He quoted Malaysian statistics which show that bilateral trade turnover last year reached US$13.9 billion, approaching the pre-pandemic set target of US$15 billion.
“Without the COVID-19 epidemic, I believe that many areas of cooperation would have grown even stronger and the bilateral trade revenue would have been much higher,” said Ambassador Thai.
He went on to say that both countries have high demand for strengthening co-operation and connecting their two economies. Many Vietnamese products such as electronic components, coffee, and rice have gained a firm foothold in the Malaysian market.
Furthermore, Malaysian businesses consider the Vietnamese market to be an attractive investment destination. Most recently, businessman Osman Ramlan set up a Halal Center in Hanoi which seeks to promote co-operation in this area.
Tourism also represents a priority area of co-operation, according to the Ambassador, particularly after Vietnam reopened its borders on March 15 whilst Malaysia is scheduled to do the same on April 1.
“The two countries should take advantage of this ‘golden moment’ to stimulate tourism and attract investment in order to make recovery stronger together,” stressed Ambassador Thai.
In terms of the international arena, Ambassador Thai said both sides share the same view in addressing issues of mutual concern.
Malaysia supported the country as ASEAN Chair 2020 and its stint as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from 2020 to 2021. It vowed to continue supporting Vietnam at multilateral forums in the near future.
Moreover, Vietnam voiced its support for Malaysia to become a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and to run for the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2022 - 2024 term.
The Ambassador expressed confidence that the Malaysian PM’s visit to Hanoi will open up plenty of opportunities for bilateral co-operation moving forward.
