State President hosts outgoing Brunei ambassador
VOV.VN - State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 17 received Brunei Ambassador Pengiran Haji Sahari bin Pengiran Haji Salleh who has successfully ended his working term in Vietnam.
Phuc highly appreciated Haji Salleh making practical contributions to the Vietnam – Brunei relations during his 8-year working term, including his role in lifting bilateral relations to the level of comprehensive partnership in 2019.
He noted that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnam – Brunei relations have always been promoted in various areas. Bilateral trade turnover fetched US$310 million last year and US$328 million in the first four months of this year alone.
The President suggested that the two sides strive to raise their two-way trade turnover to US$500 million by 2025 in a more balanced direction. He also suggested that the Brunei government create more favourable conditions for operations of Vietnamese businesses and increase the number of its scholarships for Vietnamese students.
He also said the two countries should coordinate and cooperate closely at regional and international forums such as ASEAN, APEC and the UN.
With regard to the East Sea issue, the President suggested the two sides need to coordinate closely with ASEAN to maintain its common voice and ensure peace, security and stability in the regional waters by promoting the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and negotiating the effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Ambassador Haji Salleh thanked the Government, ministries and localities of Vietnam for their support during his working term, and vowed to continue supporting the Brunei – Vietnam relations in future.