NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man held talks with Senate President Dato Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah as part of his official visit to Malaysia and attendance at the 46th AIPA General Assembly on the morning of September 19 at the Malaysian Senate headquarters.

Malaysian Senate President Dato’ Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah warmly welcomed the top Vietnamese legislator and his spouse, along with Vietnamese high-level delegation, noting that, together with the highly successful visits of Party General Secretary To Lam in November 2024 and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in May 2025, this visit marks an important milestone in bilateral relations. It helps effectively promote the comprehensive strategic partnership, while also demonstrating Vietnam’s commitment, together with ASEAN parliaments, to building a “sustainable and inclusive” ASEAN Community that is united, self-reliant, and continues to play a central role in the regional architecture.

The NA Chairman thanked the Malaysian Parliament for the warm sentiments and the formal welcome extended to the Vietnamese high-level delegation and to him personally during his first visit to the beautiful and hospitable country of Malaysia. On the occasion of Malaysia’s National Day (August 31, 2025) and Malaysia Day (September 16, 2025), he also congratulated Malaysia on its significant progress across all fields, adding that that it has become one of the world’s 27 most competitive economies.

He respectfully conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Senate President Dato’ Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah. He also expressed his deep concern for the people in Malaysia affected by floods and landslides in many areas and wished for their swift return to normal life.

The Vietnamese NA leader affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of valuing and wishing to effectively realize the comprehensive strategic partnership with Malaysia, aiming to serve the interests of the peoples of both countries, contribute to building a united, cohesive and strong ASEAN, and actively promote peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

He also reiterated support for the “Sustainable and Inclusive” theme of ASEAN 2025, pledging close coordination with the Malaysian Chair and other member states to implement the outlined priorities.

The two sides also exchanged views on the lawmaking process. Man briefed on Vietnam’s constitutional amendments, lawmaking, administrative streamlining, and the merger of provinces and two-tier local administrations.

Both sides praised the strong development and close ties between the two countries over the past more than 50 years, including the upgrade of relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in October 2024. Against the backdrop of global political and economic fluctuations, they consented to continue supporting and further accelerating the implementation of agreed cooperation directions, including enhancing political trust, encouraging delegations and high-level contacts at all levels, expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation, resolving certain legal bottlenecks to facilitate greater Malaysian investment in Vietnam, developing the Halal industry, coordinating on dealing with IUU issues, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

Both sides affirmed their commitment to further augment cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies by promoting delegations and high-level and other-level contacts; stepping up cooperation, exchanges, and experience-sharing, particularly among parliamentary specialized committees, friendship groups, women parliamentarians, and young lawmakers, to develop and improve an appropriate legal framework for the new phase of bilateral relations.

Both sides concurred to jointly supervise the effective implementation of bilateral agreements, particularly the building of the action program to advance the Vietnam-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership, including inter-parliamentary cooperation.

Chairman Man called on Malaysia to facilitate the Vietnamese community living and working in the country, and to treat Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen in a humanitarian manner.

The Malaysian Senate President thanked the Vietnamese Parliament for its support and assistance to the Malaysian Parliament during its term as AIPA-46 Chair, as well as for Malaysia’s role as ASEAN Chair in 2025.

Both sides agreed, together with other ASEAN member states, to build a united, inclusive and self-reliant ASEAN, strengthen ASEAN’s central role, especially on the East Sea issue, and contribute to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

The Malaysian Senate President expressed for the support and assistance provided by the Vietnamese Parliament to the Malaysian Parliament during its term as AIPA-46 Chair, as well as Malaysia’s role as ASEAN Chair in 2025.

Both sides agreed, together with other ASEAN countries, to build a united, inclusive and self-reliant ASEAN, strengthen ASEAN’s central role, especially on the South China Sea issue, and contribute to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

The same day, NA Chairman Man held talks with Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives Tan Sri Dato’ Johari bin Abdul, following an official welcome ceremony for the top Vietnamese legislator in Kuala Lumpur on September 19.

Malaysian House Speaker Tan Sri Dato’ Johari bin Abdul and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man

Speaker Johari bin Abdul expressed his appreciation for the significance of Chairman Man’s first official visit to Malaysia, expressing his belief that it will help enhance cooperation between the two legislatures, and contribute to the effective implementation of the Vietnam-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as well as the success of the 46th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter‑Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-46).

On behalf of the Vietnamese NA and people, the Vietnamese NA leader extended congratulations to the Parliament and people of Malaysia on the occasion of the 68th Independence Day (August 31) and the 62nd Malaysia Day (September 16); and highlighted Malaysia’s strong economic development and effective governance, with GDP growth reaching 5.1% in 2024, the highest over the past 12 years.

He greatly evaluated Malaysia’s role and contributions as the ASEAN Chair and the AIPA-46 President, and affirmed that Vietnam will support Malaysia in successfully assuming these roles, with the shared goal of building a united, cohesive ASEAN that maintains its central role in the region.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive and substantive progress in the bilateral relations in recent times, especially the milestone of upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Party General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Malaysia in November 2024, which has opened up a new chapter for deeper and more effective bilateral cooperation.

Political collaboration has become increasingly close across all channels. In particular, both sides have regularly maintained high-level contacts, delegation exchanges at all levels, as well as various bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Parliamentary cooperation has also seen positive development, both bilaterally and multilaterally. The two sides have frequently exchanged delegations, maintained high-level parliamentary contacts, and closely coordinated within regional and international inter-parliamentary forums.

To promote more effective, substantive, and deeper co in the new period, both sides agreed on the need to further strengthen political trust and soon carry out the 2025–2030 Action Programme for the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

They laid stress on the importance of facilitating economic, trade, and investment cooperation to early achieve the target of US$18 billion in bilateral trade, in a more balanced manner, with a focus on potential areas such as the Halal industry, renewable and green energy, digital transformation, agriculture, tourism, and education and training.

The two countries will also boost maritime cooperation and coordinate effectively in addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing to create favourable conditions for the European Union (EU) to soon lift its "yellow card" warning on Vietnam’s seafood exports.

They consented to increase people-to-people exchanges, especially among the younger generation, not only to strengthen the friendship between the two nations but also to contribute to the ASEAN Community.

Additionally, the two leaders reached a consensus on promoting parliamentary cooperation by intensifying high-level and committee-level delegation exchanges, as well as exchanges between women and young parliamentarians between women and young parliamentarians.

They pledged to share information and experience in building and improving legal frameworks, creating favourable conditions for implementing new areas of cooperation under the newly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and strengthening supervision of the implementation of international treaties and cooperation agreements signed between the two governments.

The Vietnamese NA and the Malaysian Parliament will continue to boost closer coordination and support each other at multilateral forums such as AIPA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), among others, thus contributing to maintaining a peaceful, stable, and developing environment in the region and the world.

On this occasion, Chairman Man invited the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malaysia to visit Vietnam again in the near future.

Vietnam, Malaysia cultivate parliamentary links

NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s attendance at the 46th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and official visit to Malaysia from September 16-20 mark the first by a top Vietnamese legislator since both countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024, underscoring Vietnam’s Vietnam’s push to deepen parliamentary ties.

NA Chairman desires expanded energy cooperation with Malaysia

VOV.VN - Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met leaders of Petronas, Malaysia's state-owned oil-and-gas company, in Kuala Lumpur on September 17, calling for enhanced cooperation in LNG, renewable energy, hydrogen, and carbon capture to ensure stable, long-term energy supply.