Vietnam, Myanmar look toward stronger partnership

The Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship Association held its second congress for the 2021 to 2026 term on November 11 in Hanoi in both in-person and online formats .

Chu Cong Phung, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Myanmar, was duly elected to continue holding the position of chairman of the Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship Association for the 2021 to 2026 term.

The Congress elected a 30-member executive committee for 2021 to 2026, along with a three-member Inspection Committee. According to a report presented during the course of the event, the relationship between both sides has grown steadily over the past five decades.

The two countries established a comprehensive partnership back in 2017, thereby opening up channels of dialogue and close co-operation at a ministerial level in foreign affairs, defence, security, economics, and trade.

Many high-level exchange visits have been held by both nations’ leaders, along with various ministries and agencies, while bilateral mechanisms have been regularly maintained and promoted. Indeed, the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation and the Joint Sub-Committee on Trade serves as a typical case in point.

By the end of April, total Vietnamese licensed investment capital in Myanmar stood at US$2.2 billion, thereby covering 11 projects on telecommunications, construction, and banking.

Most notably, co-operation in defence, security, agriculture, transportation, construction, and banking have yielded an array of positive results.

Furthermore, the two countries have actively co-ordinated with each other at international and regional forums, such as at ASEAN Conferences, the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit (ACMECS).

During the last term, the Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship Association launched a broad range of practical activities as a way of promoting the comprehensive co-operative partnership, thereby deepening mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Moving ahead to the next term, the Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship Association will continue strengthening co-operation with the Myanmar Embassy in Hanoi, the Vietnamese Embassy in Yangon and with the Myanmar-Vietnam Friendship Association. This will be done to organise a series of regular activities regarding information exchange and well implement signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The association will also ramp up co-operation with religious, political, and social organisations in promoting economic, cultural, educational, and healthcare exchange activities.

As part of her speech, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, president of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), congratulated the Executive Committee of the Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship Association for the 2021 to 2026 term. She went on to praise Cong Phung as the new chairman of the Association, with Ambassador Nga affirming that the Association has made practical contributions to consolidating and tightening the friendship between the two nations.

The Vietnamese diplomat also expressed her confidence that the new Executive Committee will continue to do its job well, thereby leading the Association to implement many practical and effective activities and contributing to moving forward the friendship and co-operation between both sides.