Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosts Malaysian Ambassador Dato’ Tan Yang Thai. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Chinh assured the Ambassador that Vietnam always treasures friendship and strategic partnership with Malaysia. He wished that during his tenure, the ambassador would actively uphold his role as an important bridge promoting the extensive and effective development of bilateral ties.

The host suggested that the diplomat facilitate the exchange of all-level delegations, and effectively deploy bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the Vietnam-Malaysia Joint Committee for Economic-Scientific-Technological Cooperation and the Joint Trade Committee. He also suggested coordinating efforts to hold practical activities marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic ties (1973-2023), step up national defence and security cooperation, especially in combating transnational, drug and cyber crimes; and further propel collaboration in culture, sports, tourism, and people-to-people exchange.

According to him, two-way trade hit nearly 15 billion USD last year, up over 17% annually. Malaysia remained the second biggest ASEAN investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 13 billion USD.

The Prime Minister proposed that Malaysia create more favourable conditions for Vietnam's goods and services to navigate the country, including products meeting Halal standards, toward achieving the goal of 18 billion USD in two-way trade in the direction of reducing Vietnam’s trade deficit.

He also suggested tapping opportunities from regional trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) while expanding coordination in the digital economy, circular economy and green economy.

Vietnam is ready to offer all possible support to foreign investors, including those from Malaysia, to do business in the country, he said.

Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai, for his part, pledged to further carry forward bilateral cooperation during his tenure, especially in fields of the two countries' potential and strength like agriculture, Halal industry, education and training, digital transformation, cyber security, and sci-tech.

He agreed to strengthen cooperation at sea and closely coordinate to resolve issues related to fishermen and boats. The guest vowed to work with relevant agencies to hold activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, including high-level visits.

Malaysia is ready to welcome foreign workers following the COVID-19 pandemic, including Vietnamese workers in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on labour cooperation recently signed by the two countries in March 2022, he said.

On regional issues, the Ambassador agreed with the Prime Minister's opinion on the need to continue strengthening ASEAN’s unity and central role, maintaining ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea, striving to build the East Sea into a water of peace and cooperation, and successfully formulating an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).