Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong (R) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in San Francisco, the U.S., November 16 - Photo: VNA

The two leaders were pleased to meet each other again after the Malaysian Prime Minister’s official visit to Viet Nam last July and hailed the development in their countries’ strategic partnership.

President Vo urged the two sides to materialize the outcomes of the Joint Committee’s 7th meeting while soon finalizing the negotiations on and signing treaties and agreements to create a basis and framework to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Vo asked both sides to double efforts to raise bilateral trade to US$18 billion in the time ahead, and called on the Malaysian Government to assist Vietnamese enterprises in production and export of Halal products to Malaysia.

For his part, Prime Minister Ibrahim affirmed that Malaysia attaches special importance to multifaceted cooperation with Viet Nam.

He said that he was impressed with Viet Nam’s socio-economic development achievements, expressing his wish to further enhance cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and manpower training with Viet Nam.

The two leaders pledged to sustain close coordination at regional and international forums such as the United Nations and APEC; strive to maintain the solidarity and centrality of ASEAN to help build an ASEAN Community of strong development, solidarity and resilience; and support Laos to fulfill its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.

Regarding the issues of shared concern, including the East Sea, they agreed to support the maintenance of the common viewpoint of guaranteeing peace and stability, serious implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and working towards a Code of Conduct (COC) that is substantive, effective, and in conformity with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).