The agreements were reached during talks between Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pham Gia Khiem, and Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman on the sidelines of the 15th ASEAN summit in Cha-am and Hua Hin, Thailand.

Deputy PM Khiem said cooperation on the economy, trade and investment with Malaysia has been identified as one of the government’s priorities.

He asked the Malaysian Foreign Minister to consider investing in industrial zones in Vietnam, increasing the quota of Vietnamese workers permitted to work in Malaysia and promoting cooperation with Vietnam in tourism, education and oil and gas exploration.

Minister Aman said a number of Malaysian investors have expressed delight at business operations in Vietnam. A working visit to Vietnam will soon be organised for Malaysian enterprises that wish to seek trade and investment opportunities in the country, he added.

The two ministers also agreed to ask relevant agencies on both sides to negotiate a cooperation agreement on seafood exploitation in line with international laws and norms.

They emphasised the need to step up joint patrols in adjoining and overlapping waters.

Both ministers shared their satisfaction with the new progress in bilateral relations between the two countries, adding that both sides will soon complete an action plan on implementing a comprehensive cooperative framework of the 21st century.