Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to deepen political trust between Viet Nam, Malaysia

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is set to pay an official visit to Malaysia and attend the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur from May 24-28 at the invitation of Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.

In a recent interview with VGP, the Ambassador said, this will be Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's maiden visit to Malaysia in his current role as Prime Minister.

The last time a Prime Minister of Viet Nam had carried out an official visit to Malaysia was in 2015. At the time, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his counterpart, Prime Minister Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, had issued a joint statement establishing a strategic partnership between the two nations.

According to the diplomat, Prime Minister Pham's official visit, coinciding with his attendance at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, is both timely and strategically significant.

It takes place at a moment when regional cooperation is more critical than ever, and when Malaysia and Viet Nam have elevated our bilateral relationship to its highest level a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The visit is also coming soon after the successful working visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Ha Noi to deliver the keynote address at the ASEAN Future Forum which took place in February this year.

During the working visit, Prime Minister Anwar met with General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong and had a working breakfast meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister.

The two Prime Ministers have also been in regular contact with one another, recently having two phone conversations in April to discuss matters of relevance to bilateral relations.

"In the context of these developments, we anticipate it will be a fruitful visit by Prime Minister Chinh to Malaysia. It will provide a direct platform for reviewing the implementation of key bilateral initiatives under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership so far, including cooperation to increase trade and investment, development of the halal industry, and cooperation in oil and gas; as well as efforts at exploring new frameworks in green economy cooperation, clean energy, and skills development", told the Ambassador.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister's visit is expected to further strengthen cooperation in economic and people-to-people ties that will benefit both nations.

As for the Prime Minister's important participation at the ASEAN Summit, it is a strong signal of commitment to our shared objective of building an ASEAN that is united, forward-looking, and central to regional peace.

Viet Nam–Malaysia relations develop strongly in new period

Regarding the fruitful achievements in the bilateral ties, the diplomat said, over the past five decades of diplomatic relations and especially since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024, Viet Nam and Malaysia have achieved numerous milestones.

"Bilateral trade reached approximately US$18 billion in 2024, making Viet Nam Malaysia's 4th largest trading partner in ASEAN. We have also seen increased Malaysian investments in Viet Nam across property development, manufacturing, and infrastructure", he noted.

Malaysia is also the second-largest ASEAN investor in Việt Nam and ranks 11th among 143 nations and territories investing in the country, with a total registered capital of over US$13 billion in 718 projects. 

Defense ties have grown through the renewals of Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation, strategic dialogues, port visits, training exchanges, and enhanced maritime collaboration.

Tourism also stands out as a vital pillar of bilateral relations. In 2024, Malaysia welcomed over 300,000 Vietnamese tourists, while Viet Nam received nearly half a million Malaysian visitors, demonstrating the strong people-to-people connectivity between our nations.

These strong numbers are facilitated by the fact that Malaysia and Viet Nam enjoy excellent air connectivity, with 164 direct flights operated by several airlines between major cities like Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang in Viet Nam, and Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

"In terms of education and human capital development, increasing numbers of Vietnamese students are currently pursuing higher education in Malaysia, and we are building more institutional partnerships between our universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes", underlined the Ambassador.

Besides, the two countries coordinate closely on regional issues, especially within ASEAN frameworks, APEC, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

"These achievements reflect not just diplomatic alignment, but the strong people-to-people bonds and shared economic aspirations between our two nations", stated the diplomat.

In 2025 and beyond, the two nations will be on broadening and deepening cooperation in forward-looking, high-impact sectors that align with national development priorities on both sides. For example, a key focus area is developing a green economy and energy transition.

Both countries are committed to net-zero goals, and exploring joint ventures in renewable energy. Another area of focus is cooperation in the development of the halal industry. Malaysia's leadership in Halal standards and certification presents strong opportunities for collaboration, particularly as Viet Nam expands its export market to the Middle East and Muslim-majority regions.

To promote these areas further, both sides will be expending efforts to enhance institutional cooperation via regular Joint Commission Meetings or Joint Trade Commissions, facilitate private sector dialogues and business-to-business linkages and considering expanding scholarships, training, and youth engagement platforms.

The Ambassador expressed his belief that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership must not only be high-level, but high-impact businesses, communities, and the environment.

Viet Nam regarded as pivotal to ASEAN's cohesion

According to the diplomat, the 46th ASEAN Summit is scheduled to take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in Malaysia from May 26-27.

As the host nation and ASEAN Chair for 2025, Malaysia has outlined a comprehensive agenda under the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability", aiming to strengthen regional cooperation and address pressing challenges.

In conjunction with the ASEAN Summit, two major high-level meetings the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit will also be held.

Southeast Asia, the Gulf, and China are home to more than two billion consumers and account for over 20 percent of the world's GDP. The Summits are timely as these regions are some of the most dynamic in strengthening their global position and expanding their global reach.

In conjunction with these Summits, Malaysia will be hosting the ASEAN-GCC-China and ASEAN-GCC Economic Forums in Kuala Lumpur from May 27-28, respectively.

"Malaysia deeply values Viet Nam's role as a strong, consistent, and principled partner in ASEAN. We welcome Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's participation in the 48th ASEAN Summit with high expectations, especially as Viet Nam continues to demonstrate strategic clarity, regional foresight, and strong economic dynamism", shared the Ambassador.

Viet Nam has long been regarded as pivotal to ASEAN's cohesion. The nation's commitment to regional peace, non-alignment, and inclusive development resonates strongly with Malaysia's own priorities for ASEAN 2025.

The diplomat said, Malaysia hopes to work closely with Viet Nam in the following areas:

Strengthening ASEAN Unity in Diversity: Viet Nam's diplomatic voice is critical in consensus-building and maintaining the bloc's collective neutrality.

Enhancing Economic Resilience: As Viet Nam continues to post robust growth, we look forward to cooperation in regional mechanisms that support sustainable trade, digital cooperation, and energy connectivity.

Promoting ASEAN's Voice Globally: Malaysia looks to Viet Nam as a partner in shaping ASEAN's outreach to the world, as well as contributing to constructive dialogue with external partners such as China, the U.S., the EU, and beyond.

Viet Nam's strategic importance and proactive approach make it an indispensable ally in ensuring the success of Malaysia's Chairmanship and the enduring relevance of ASEAN, told the Ambassador./.