Malaysian PM begins visit to Vietnam
VOV.VN - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, his wife and entourage arrived in Hanoi on July 20, beginning a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.
Anwar Ibrahim is accompanied by Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin, among others.
This is the first official visit to Vietnam since he took office in December last year. The trip is taking place amid both nations celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties (1973-2023).
The two countries upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2015.
Last year’s bilateral trade exceeded US$14.8 billion, up 17.9% on-year. Malaysia is also among the top 10 investors in Vietnam, with 718 valid projects totally capitalized at US$13 billion.
According to the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two-day official visit to Vietnam by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will help further enhance the relation between the two close neighbours and partners in ASEAN.
In its press release, the ministry said that during the visit, the PM will have a host of meetings with Vietnamese top leaders, and witness the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between ministries and agencies of Malaysia and Vietnam in various sectors to enhance bilateral trade and investment.
He is also set to attend the Malaysia-Vietnam Joint Business Conference and a session with representatives from the Malaysian community.
“As the year 2023 also marks the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the visit provides the opportunity to further strengthen the relationship,” the ministry said.
Total bilateral trade surged by 23.1%, from US$16.74 billion in 2021 to US$19.44 billion in 2022. Malaysia is also the ninth largest investor in Vietnam, with a total investment capital of US$13.06 billion.