The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that on the evening of February 25, 2025, at the Party Central Committee Headquarters, General Secretary To Lam received Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the occasion of the Prime Minister attending the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum in Hanoi (from February 25-26, 2025).
The General Secretary expressed his pleasure at meeting the Malaysian Prime Minister again in Vietnam and recalled the warm and sincere feelings of the Prime Minister, senior leaders and Malaysian people for the General Secretary and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation during their recent official visit to Malaysia (November 2024). The visit was a great success with the historic milestone of upgrading the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, exchanging specific measures to develop the bilateral relationship worthy of its new stature.
The General Secretary congratulated Malaysia on many important achievements in socio-economic development; believing that with an economic growth rate of 5.1% in 2024 (up 1.5% compared to 2023), Malaysia will become one of the leading economies with the fastest growth rate in Asia, soon joining the group of 30 largest economies in the world in the next decade.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was delighted to visit Vietnam again; expressed his admiration for President Ho Chi Minh, as well as admired Vietnam's past struggle for national independence and liberation, in which he highlighted the stature and historical significance of the Dien Bien Phu victory; and highly appreciated the achievements in building and developing the country of Vietnamese leaders and people in recent times; emphasized that the General Secretary's recent visit created very important motivation, achieved high unity in the Malaysian Government and said that Malaysia is determined to deploy and promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim suggested that committees and coordination mechanisms between the two countries concretize the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into specific plans and actions for immediate implementation and soon to have results.
Discussing major cooperation directions in the coming time, the two sides agreed to increase exchanges and contacts at high and all levels; effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms and move towards establishing new mechanisms, in line with cooperation needs between the two countries; effectively exploit the potential for cooperation in other important areas, especially defense - security, trade - investment, labor, education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange.
Appreciating the increasing development of bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries, nearly reaching the target of 18 billion USD as set by the leaders of both sides, the two sides agreed that there are still many areas with potential for development such as energy, oil and gas, fisheries and new fields in technology, semiconductors, etc.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to closely coordinate to create new changes in economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries; support Vietnam's proposal for cooperation, grasp and take advantage of new trends to strengthen cooperation in other important areas such as culture, education, tourism, etc.
Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two sides agreed to continue to strengthen cooperation and mutual support at regional and international organizations, especially at ASEAN and the United Nations.
General Secretary To Lam affirmed that he will actively support Malaysia in successfully damining the role of ASEAN Chair in 2025; together with other ASEAN countries, promote the focuses, priorities and initiatives proposed by Malaysia for the five Chairliages, through the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides agreed to continue supporting ASEAN's common viewpoint on the East Sea, ensuring full and serious implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), promoting negotiations, building an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); striving to build the East Sea into a peaceful and cooperative sea area.
