Vietnam – Malaysia relations develop strongly in new period

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam, his spouse, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on November 23 afternoon, successfully concluding their three-day official visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his spouse.

This is the first visit to Malaysia by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam over the past 30 years. Hence, both sides placed great importance on the trip, meticulously arranging both the schedule and agenda.

Upgrading bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Within the framework of his visit, Lam held talks with PM Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim; met with Speaker of the House of Representatives Tan Sri Dato' Johari Bin Abdul, and President of the Senate Dato’ Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah; and received Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Rural and Regional Development, and President of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He also had meetings with outstanding Vietnamese nationals living in ASEAN member states, and representatives from the Vietnamese community in Malaysia; visited several cultural and economic centres; and delivered a policy speech at the University of Malaya. On this occasion, his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, visited the National Heart Institute of Malaysia, and presented gifts to child patients undergoing intensive treatment there.

At these meetings, both sides expressed satisfaction with the two countries’ broad and deep cooperation over the past more than 50 years (1973-2024). It has helped Vietnam and Malaysia achieve significant milestones in both bilateral and multilateral aspects based on their mutual understanding and trust and a shared vision of security, prosperity, and sustainable development in the region, as well as the deep cultural and historical ties between their people.

Party General Secretary To Lam and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim agreed to elevate the bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and issued a joint declaration on this upgrade, affirming their commitments to supporting each other on the two nations’ respective development paths. Vietnam and Malaysia are now each other's only comprehensive strategic partners in Southeast Asia, providing a critical framework and orientation for bilateral cooperation in the new era focusing on four key pillars, namely enhancing cooperation in politics, defence, and security; strengthening economic connectivity for sustainable development; exploring new cooperative areas such as digital transformation, clean energy, and advanced technologies; and deepening coordination on international and multilateral issues.

Discussing domestic and global issues, the two sides’ leaders stressed the two countries’ historical and cultural similarities as well as common goals in development, which could foster greater political trust and deeper collaboration between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Malaysia’s major political parties.

They agreed to work together to build a cohesive and prosperous ASEAN Community, with the Party leader underscoring Vietnam’s strong support for Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2025.

Vietnamese and Malaysian leaders also highlighted the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability, and safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, not using or threatening to use force, and resolving disputes through peaceful means in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.

Visiting the prestigious University of Malaya, the Party chief delivered a policy speech outlining Vietnam’s vision for future relations with Malaysia and for a united, prosperous ASEAN Community. His remarks also underscored the fact that Vietnam has attached importance to ASEAN.

In his speech, Lam expressed his confidence that the recently established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Malaysia will open a new chapter of development in the bilateral relations, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in each country and in the region. Stressing the crucial role ASEAN plays in the next paths of the two countries and the bilateral ties as well as in ensuring a fair and open international system based on the rule of law, the Vietnamese leader underlined that the future of ASEAN depends on the determination of its members, including Malaysia and Vietnam. Since its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has made significant strides, overcoming divisions in the region to become a sustainable, united community that faces challenges with maturity and resilience.

Creating new momentum for Vietnam-Malaysia relations

The outcomes of the visit are of great significance in continuing to bring into full play the cooperation potential between Vietnam and Malaysia, making the most of each other's strengths, while also strengthening the peaceful environment and facilitating a new development phase for both countries as well as the region.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh stated that there remains ample room for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and the goal of raising bilateral trade to 18 billion USD is feasible. However, to achieve new successes, both sides need to find new directions, especially in areas where they have mutual needs and complementary strengths, such as development of digital economy and energy connectivity.

One promising area that both sides are actively collaborating on is the Halal sector. With its experience in Halal certification, Malaysian leaders has expressed their desire to cooperate with Vietnam in establishing Halal standards for key products. This will help Vietnam easily penetrate the Malaysian market and other major Muslim markets worldwide, he added.

Regarding future directions to build on such significant outcomes, Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of its Commission for External Relations, stressed that the initial task for relevant agencies in both countries is to promptly concretise the framework of the newly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through the development of a comprehensive action plan, while reviewing and advancing necessary agreements to create an effective collaboration mechanism.

Based on this plan, ministries and sectors involved should quickly devise specific programmes to further traditional areas of cooperation while placing particular focus on new and emerging fields such as green economy, innovation, science and technology, digital transformation, and green energy.

Relevant agencies should also regularly review, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of these plans and programmes to ensure that agreements are effectively translated into reality, serving the developmental goals of both nations in the new era.

The Party official expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to increase exchanges, sharing, and interactions through state, party, and people-to-people channels to nurture and enhance their bonds and solidify a foundation for the robust development of the bilateral relations in the future.

The Party leader’s trip is of special significance, marking a concrete step in the implementation of the foreign policy outlined by the 13th National Party Congress, as the country is entering a new era - the era of the nation’s rise. It not only contributes to promoting solidarity among ASEAN members but also demonstrates Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of prioritising its friendly neighbourliness and relations with Malaysia./.